Alcohol Abuse Among Older Adults

Motivational Strategies Paper

1) Yes little is known about alcohol abuse with older adults. It is a serious problem also. Two thirds of older adults who have a drinking problem while they were younger experience alcohol difficulties when they are in their 60's. Other older adults start drinking after age 50. Those adults then develop alcohol problems. The adults who start drinking later in life are less likely to get cirrhosis, and develop mood and thought disorders. Later in life drinking is often associated with aging, loss of spouse, retirement, and social isolation. 10% of 65 and older adults have one alcohol problem. 8% of the older adults are alcohol dependent. The government says that about 3 million adults 65 and older have a drinking problem (Hanson and Gutheil, 2004). Alcohol complications account for more hospital visits then heart attacks from adults over 60. When it comes to gender race and socioeconomic factors older men encounter more alcohol problems then women. Lower education and low income adults are more likely to abuse alcohol. African American encounter more health problems from alcohol. The ages of heavy drinking between African American men are 50 and 59.

2)

They also think that the older adults are entitled to drinking because the older adults are most likely relaxed and slowed down now and are happy with everything they did in their lives. Practitioners may also miss the symptoms of alcohol abuse because of having too many cases to deal with. Last they do not have the right screening tools for older adults who abuse alcohol. The diagnostic tool that they used for younger alcohol abusers is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth