ALCOHOL AND THE ELDERLY
by Nello Pozzobon Jr. MSSW, LICSW
Alcohol dependency among people over 60 is far
more common than most people realize. According to a recently
published report from the Medical College of Wisconsin, more elderly
people are hospitalized for alcohol-related problems than for
heart attacks. Many older people with alcohol problems have been
heavy drinkers for many years and with adequate medical care have
somehow lived to old age, but eventually, alcohol use will begin
to take a heavier toll on both the older persons physical and
cognitive functioning. Also among the elderly, are persons who
do not have a prior history of alcohol abuse. Due to a number
of situational factors, stresses, and losses, their alcohol abuse
or dependency, may be described as late onset.
SITUATIONAL, STRESS, AND LOSS FACTORS
When the situational, stress, and loss factors
of aging have been too great, come too fast, and at the wrong
time, many elderly persons have turned to alcohol as a coping
mechanism. People who have recently lost a spouse are thought
to make up the largest segment of the "late-onset" drinkers.
Other people may develop a drinking problem later in life due
to retirement, boredom, loneliness, lowered income, or failing
health. The elderly are also faced with the phenomenon of the
national addiction to youth. Aging is equated with obsolescence
and worthlessness. People who have been vital, contributing members
of society, can suddenly find themselves replaced.
Another common denominator faced by the elderly
is loss; the elderly must constantly deal with loss. There is
the loss that comes from the illnesses and deaths of family and
friends. The deaths of others also leads to questioning about
loss of self, anticipation of one's own death. There is the loss
that comes from the geographical separation of family. There
is the loss of money, which has obvious implications in vital
areas of self-esteem.
There are the losses which accompany retirement;
loss of status, gratification, and often most importantly, identity.
There is also the loss of body functions and skills, which may
include a loss of attractiveness. Another loss is of sensation.
The most powerful loss, the loss no elderly person is prepared
to understand or accept, is the loss of their ability to think.
There are also biological stresses faced by the elderly due
to physical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis
and psychological problems such as depression. Unfortunately
it is often difficult to identify alcohol problems or dependency
in an elderly person for a number of reasons.
IDENTIFYING ALCOHOL PROBLEMS IN THE ELDERLY
One reason that it is difficult to identify
alcohol problems in the elderly is that it is often easier for
them to "hide" the problem. Many live alone, and don't
have anyone else depending on them, so they can not get "caught"
by another family member, or by errors at work, now that they
are retired. They may also no longer drive, or at least not as
much, and as a result, the alcohol problems may be less likely
to get them into trouble with the law. Perhaps the main reason
for the difficulty in recognizing an alcohol problem in the elderly
person is that many of the symptoms of alcoholism such as, depression,
memory loss, confusion, unsteady gait, reduced physical capabilities
in general, are misdiagnosed and confused with other signs of
advanced age.
Because many elderly persons are reluctant to
seek or receive professional help, there are some signs which
can help concerned family members or friends recognize a drinking
problem of an elderly loved one:
* A change in appearance and grooming
* A significant personality shift, either toward
more aggressive or toward an overall slowing down
* Expressive sleepiness or insomnia
* A flushed face or bloated appearance
* A desire to be alone
* A need to explain memory lapses by making up
stories
* Alcohol on the person's breath
* Hidden or empty bottles
For the elderly person who is not reluctant
to receive professional services, they might want to seek help
if they become aware of the following:
* Drink to calm your nerves, forget your worries,
or reduce depression
* Lose interest in food
* Consume your drinks quickly
* Lie, or try to hide your drinking habits
* Drink alone more often
* Hurt yourself, or someone else, while drinking
* Were drunk more than three or four times last
year
* Need more alcohol to get "high"
* Feel irritable, resentful, or unreasonable
when you are not drinking
* Have medical, social, or financial problems
caused by drinking
Getting Help:
Whatever the type of alcoholism present, intervention
and treatment is important. All too often we are likely to dismiss
the elderly with "what do they have to live for anyway".
The quality of life left to any of us, whether it's 15, 10, or
5 years, or just 1 more year, would better be the paramount concern.
Once they decide to seek help, older alcoholics, particularly
those who started drinking later in life, tend to stay with treatment
programs and respond better than younger people. They are able
to rediscover strengths, get involved with people, and discover
life is worth living, at whatever age.
You can begin getting help by calling your family
doctor or clergy member. Your local health department or social
services agencies also can help. The alcohol-dependent person,
or someone close to the person can telephone the National Council
on Alcoholism's Help Line at 1-800-NCA-CALL.
Other Resources:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
475 Riverside Drive, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10115
(212) 870-3400
Alcoholics Anonymous (Cape Cod)
396 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
(508) 775-7060 or 1-800-637-6237
Cape Cod Council on Alcoholism
569 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
(508) 771-0132
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
6000 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 443-3860
National Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence (NCADD)
12 West 21st Street
8th Floor
New York, NY 10010
NCA-CALL (800-622-2255)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898
