merly fatal illnesses, more older people are abusing alcohol than ever before. According to some authorities like Columbia’s National Center of Addiction and Substance abuse (CASA) “We have an epidemic of alcohol abuse among the elderly” (Peele, 1998, A19).
Alcohol abuse among the elderly is a dangerous and complex situation. It is dangerous because numerous studies reported in the literature address the increased negative effects on physical and mental health among the elderly who abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. The situation is complex because there are almost always other factors associated with elderly drinking abuse, such as great loss (death of a loved one or spouse, retirement, etc.) and depression. Further, drinking among the elderly is complicated by the twofold situation of aging and medications. The natural aging process often causes many ailments which can mask the symptoms of alcoholism, such as muscular-skeletal pain and insomnia. Additionally, the elderly are the biggest population of polydrug users in the nation. The combination of medications and alcohol can often mask the symptoms of alcoholism, making detection and subsequent treatment even more difficult to diagnose properly. The isolation of many elderly also adds to the problem of detection among both family members and health care workers.
Social stigma associated with alcoholism and a host of other factors contribute to the secretive nature of alcohol abuse by the elderly. Further, depression, a natural advent of aging, is the mental issue most commonly associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the elderly. Erroneous perceptions about the elderly contribute to an inability to help solve the problem among this population. Many people think people past forty are not in danger of becoming alcoholics if they have not been heavy drinkers before age 40. Further, the elderly are much less able to physically and mentally handle the effects ...