Has anyone navigated moving a smoker into memory care?

I wouldn't bring it up at all while your mom lives with you. Let her enjoy her evening cigarette. If she has to move to a Memory Care Unit, she will adjust, possibly with the help of nicotine patches etc. She may not even want to smoke anymore at that point.
Unless smoking cessation is something she desires right now I would leave it alone.

My experience: My mama was a smoker since she was 16. She smoked at least a pack a day. When she got dementia she started to forget she smoked until she saw the package. As time went on we she smoked less and less. One day she just stopped asking for them and we never had that issue again.
My grandmother was a no filter camel smoker - yea the hard stuff. She went into a facility and they did not allow smoking - she just stopped. I remember visiting her and she never smoked again. This could happen to your mom - If I were in your position don't tell her don't bug her just let it happen. Telling her bugging her will only upset her. Blessings to you and yours.

Smokers will tell you that it is extremely difficult to quit.

Of course, your mom is grieving her many losses. I bet she looks forward to her ‘one’ cigarette per day.

I know that you don’t want to add to her stress or sadness. This doesn’t mean that you can accommodate everything that she desires.

The most important thing is to help her with what she truly needs.

My oldest brother (deceased) smoked like a chimney. I have horrible allergies and asthma. I never allowed him to smoke in my car or my home. He went outside to smoke.

They always placed a patch on my brother when he was in a hospital. I don’t remember if he had one on in his hospice facility.

I remember a time when I took my brother to the ER and he was in the triage area. He lit up a cigarette! I nearly died. I told him that if he didn’t put it out, I was leaving immediately. He reluctantly put out the cigarette.

Don’t compromise with your mom on things that bother you. She will adjust. She may be a bit cranky about it, which is normal. Everyone gets a bit cranky at times.

My daughters used to tell their friends when they had sleepovers to wait until I had my coffee before attempting to start a conversation with me. LOL 😆 I frequently heard their friends say, “My mom is the same way.”

Best wishes to you and your mom.

gardeningmama: Since she only smokes one cigarette per day AND has COPD, perhaps she can use a nicotine patch in order to rid her crutch. The day that she has to go on oxygen for the COPD will not be pretty, but a 'cold turkey' day.

Why don’t you let the expensive memory care people deal with it? What are you paying them for, anyway? She will ask for that cig, and they will either wheel her out to puff it, or tell her NO, not happening…either way, you don’t have to be involved at all. Of course she will kvetch to you, but you just shrug and tell her to take it up with the nurses.

Are you using nicotine patches? Also gum, candy and deep breathing exercises. The breathing helped me years ago because the act of inhaling is very calming whether it’s smoke or fresh air. I used a pretend cigarette and inhaled.

Imho, I'd let the transition take care of it. The time will come when you'll know if it is necessary or she has forgotten. Your mother is getting bumrushed by events behind her control, and sounds like you can tolerate this one, at least for the time being?

We told our love one they quit and don’t smoke anymore lol it worked

Oh yes they say the residents can't smoke, but the employees are out back puffing away... LOL When my smoking mom was in rehab, at a non smoking facility, they just wheeled the residents out front to the sidewalk and let them smoke. So there may be some leaway in the rules. But I agree if she only smokes one a day you may be able to placate her with a "fake" smoke. When my dad was in a non smoking MC, Mom, when visiting and my hubs just went to the parking lot. Where they talked to alot of the residents who were smoking with the staff who brought them out!

Better for her to quit smoking altogether. It is making her COPD, dementia, and any other medical problems worse. Talk to her doctor about getting nicotine patches and/or nicotine gum as a substitute. Then, she can slowly be weaned off them AND be admitted into every memory care facility.