Elderly alcohol abuse is a real issue. Many people’s attitude towards older folks with substance abuse issues is, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But that is simply not true! When helping an older adult change their drinking habits, persistence, patience and dedication are key.
High amounts of alcohol are particularly harmful to older adults’ bodies and their minds, and as people that care for them and about them, it is important to help our older adults reduce alcohol intake and in doing so, increase their quality of life in their later years.
Depression is common in older adults for a number of reasons: they’ve lost their life partner, friends or family, they are alone more, they don’t feel well, they can’t do the same things they used to do. Because of this, many older adults turn to alcohol as a means of coping. Whether or not they abused alcohol as a younger adult, many older adults develop alcohol addiction in their later years, which is particularly harmful as alcohol affects older people in a different way: it can cause harmful side effects when mixed with medications; it is absorbed more quickly and can do more harm to the liver, which (along with the rest of the digestive system) has a more difficult time processing alcohol than in a younger adult. In fact, according to The Betty Ford Clinic, due to metabolic changes, “two or three drinks at age 65 can have the same affect as ten or twelve beers at age 20.”
Below are some ways in which alcohol negatively impacts the body:
–Decreases effectiveness of the immune system, causing us to get sick more often and to be at increased risk of developing disease
–Heart issues, like drooping and weakening of the heart muscle, high blood pressure, stroke, and irregular heart beat
–Cancers, especially mouth, esophagus, throat, liver and breast
–Liver problems like hepatitis, cirrhosis (inflammation and death of cells)
–Brain tissue shrinks and neuropathways are affected; temporary and permanently decreased thinking and processing. Mood, behavior and coordination are also affected, both temporarily and permanently over time.
For a much more detailed explanation of these negative effects, refer to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website. Stay tuned next time for our article on how to talk to older adults about substance abuse issues. Until then, be well.