Although the prevalence of alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse decreases with age, alcoholism abuse decrease with age, alcoholism remains a common and significant, yet underrecognized, public health problem among seniors. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), there is a huge, hidden population-up to 3 million people over 60-who have problems with alcohol, and the diagnosis of alcoholism is not made nearly as often as it should be. The reasons for this are varied, but many of them have to do with the fact that seniors are no longer active in mainstream society and there is simply no one around to notice:Seniors are less likely to get in trouble with the law-DUIs, traffic accidents, or causing problems. So they have little contact with police or the criminal justice system.
Since many seniors are retired, there is very little chance that their drinking will cause them to lose a job or career.
It is difficult to diagnose alcoholism in order adults because one-third of those with problems do not abuse alcohol in their earlier years, nor do they have health problems, or have difficulties with family relationships — all things that are typically associated with problem drinking.
Families and children are often afraid or unwilling to confront Grandma or Grandpa about their drinking problem, so they just pretend it doesn’t exist.
A 1998 report by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment stated that 15% of male alcoholics report that their first symptoms of alcoholism occurred between the ages of 60-69, and 14% said it occurred between ages 70-79. Among women, 24% reported that their first signs of alcoholism occurred between ages 60-69, and 28% reported it occurred between ages 70-79.
Most late-life drinkers are affected by numerous ills that play heavily in their drinking decisions, such as social isolations, physical health problems, grief or loss, housing issues, marital problems, or mental health issues. The effects of alcohol may also be increased in seniors due to pharmacologic changes associated with aging, and interactions between alcohol and drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter. And the normal, physiologic changes associated with age can mask or even alter signs and symptoms of not only alcoholism, but of medical complications caused by alcohol abuse.
Seniors More Vulnerable
People 65 and older are rather more vulnerable to alcohol and its effects. According to a 1995 report in International Journal of Addictions, major problems related to abusive alcohol consumption in the elderly are:
Changes in the immune system, with reduced resistance to infection and cancer; increased incidence of cancer, especially of the esophagus; increased incidence of hypertension, cardiac rhythm problems, myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy, cerebro-vascular accident, cirrhosis and other liver diseases; malnutrition; attention, balance, and even sphincter control.
Substance abuse among the elderly is also a growing problem for the healthcare industry. Substance abuse cases cost more to treat because they require almost 26% more hospital staff and other resources than discharges that are unrelated to substance abuse. And because these cases tend to be more expensive, the amount actually paid out by Medicare substance abuse related care accounted for 23%, or nearly _ of the total Medicare payments for hospital care.
Signs of Alcohol Abuse
So how do you know if someone’s drinking is really alcoholism? Anytime drinking affects your health, then alcohol is a problem. While warning signs that a senior is a problem drinker are more subtle than in a younger drinker, here are some basics to look for:
Increased indications of self-neglect or letting the house or apartment become cluttered and dirty if the person has typically been neat. Confusion over simple things such as time of day or surroundings. Repeated falls and accidents around home. Drinking small amounts of alcohol on a daily basis. Drinking at home alone rather than at bars or in other social settings.
Get Help
If you suspect a senior has a drinking problem, gently confront the person without judgement and choose your words carefully. This age group grew up in a time when alcohol was considered a sin or a social stigma — use the words drinking problem instead of alcoholism. Recruit help from the senior’s physician too. If the problem is properly diagnosed, there is a tremendous amount of help available. Elderly alcoholics tend to respond well to treatment, and stay in programs.
Compiled by Martha Bolt, Publications Coordinator, from online articles at About. Com, American Family Physician (www.aafp.org), Purdue News (www.uns.purdue.edu), News Briefs (www.ndsn.org), AlcoWeb (www.alcoweb.com), National Institutes of Health Natn. Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (www.niaaa.nih.gov).
