Drinking Away the Years

When your elderly parent stumbles or slurs his words, it may not be due to normal aging. He could be one of the millions of senior citizens who have issues with alcohol.

The latest National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism statistics estimate that 20 percent of people over the age of 55 abuse alcohol to a problematic extent; 5-6 percent - between 1.1 and 2.3 million of them - are full-blown alcoholics. And it's a crisis that often goes unrecognized and untreated because even medical experts misread the symptoms entirely or are reluctant to make a diagnosis. For instance, a Columbia University panel of 400 doctors was given a hypothetical case of an older woman who might possibly have early stage alcoholism. When asked for their top five possible diagnoses, less than one percent mentioned alcoholism as a possibility.

Some older drinkers are identified as "late onset" alcoholics: Their excessive drinking is triggered by some major life event like a spouse dying, their children moving away, or retirement. This accounts for about a third of all geriatric alcoholics. They may take to drink because they feel lonely and isolated. Or, because they no longer work and their families don't depend on them, they may drink out of boredom or because they have no sense of purpose.

No matter what leads them to the bottle, the negative side effects of alcohol can be devastating. Excess consumption accelerates osteoporosis. It impairs judgment, coordination, and brain function - sometimes permanently - leading to increased accidents, particularly slips and falls. A 1992 investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives committee on aging found that 70 percent of elderly admissions to emergency rooms were alcohol or drug related, compared to just 25 percent of the rest of the population.

Older drinkers are often in denial and rarely seek treatment by themselves. It's usually uncovered by a family member, friend or caregiver who is sharp enough to catch the signs such as: isolation from friends and family; frequent trips to the emergency room; recurrent falling injuries; memory loss; poorly controlled high blood pressure; malnutrition, especially from folate and thiamine deficiencies; and like all alcohol abusers, an inability to control consumption. The good news is that with proper treatment recovery rates are high. Programs aimed at seniors such as the "Golden" AA meetings, boast recovery rates as high as 90 percent, considerably better than the 40 to 65 percent recovery rate reported for younger populations.

The recommendation for people over the age of 55 is no more than one standard drink per day, the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. Because body water diminishes with age and liver and kidney functions slow, older folks become intoxicated more quickly and stay that way longer. Prescription drugs can also compound problems.

If you suspect an elderly person you know needs help, speak to their physician or contact a program serving seniors. Local AA groups may be found at www.alcoholics-anonymous.org. You may also contact The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National clearing house for Alcohol and Drug Information.

For information and advice about caring for elderly relatives, visit caring.com.