Families, friends, and healthcare professionals often overlook an elderly person's problems with alcohol and other drug use, which may get mistaken for another health condition.

Maybe the person has always been a drinker, but as he or she gets older, the problem gets worse. Other people may develop a drinking problem later in life, when life changes, like failing health or the death of loved ones and friends, bring loneliness, boredom, anxiety, and depression. At first, a drink seems to bring relief from stressful situations. Later on, drinking can start to cause trouble. In addition, older Americans are three times more likely than the rest of the population to use prescription drugs, and research suggests that the elderly are less likely to follow instructions for taking medication, making them more vulnerable to potential misuse.1

Bodies metabolize alcohol faster with age, and alcohol can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Alcohol is especially dangerous for those who take sleeping pills, pain pills, or anti-anxiety medications. While the recommended drinking limits for people 65 and over are one drink per day for men, and less than one drink per day for women2, not everyone who drinks regularly has a drinking problem, and not all problem drinkers drink every day. Help might be warranted under the following circumstances:

  • Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries, or reduce depression.
  • Losing interest in food.
  • Gulping down drinks.
  • Frequently having more than three drinks in one day.
  • Lying about or trying to hide drinking habits.
  • Drinking alone.
  • Hurting oneself, or someone else, while drinking.
  • Being drunk more than three or four times last year.
  • Needing more alcohol to feel high.
  • Feeling irritable, resentful, or acting unreasonable when not drinking.
  • Having medical, social, or financial worries caused by drinking.3

What You Can Do To Help

  • If you're concerned about an elderly friend or relative, make an appointment with a health care professional, such as a doctor or nurse for a medical evaluation and attend the appointment with him or her.
  • Be sure to discuss his or her recent and long-term drinking and drug use problems with the health care professional.
  • Be sure to review the list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and herbal and dietary supplements used on a daily basis by your friend or family member.
  • Participate in confrontation if needed.
  • Provide support for the person during detoxification or other treatment.
  • Help set up community services in the home, if needed. Frail elderly people may benefit from such community services as home care, nutritional programs, transportation programs and other services.
  • Help with decision making. Many older alcoholics and persons with substance abuse problems are unable to process information or effectively communicate decisions.

For a free pamphlet, "How to Talk to an Older Adult Who Has a Problem with Alcohol or Medications" call Hazelden at 800-444-7008

[Source: Join Together, Healthwise]

1. Leschner AI. "Understanding the risks of prescription drug abuse." NIDA Notes 16:3, August 2001
2. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. "Healthy Aging: Medications and alcohol." 2003
3. NIAAA. "Aging and Alcohol Abuse." http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/agepage.htm