Alcohol Problems in the Elderly May be Mistaken for Old Age

Purdue University News Service
1132 Engineering Adminstration Building
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1132
(765) 494-2096

September 1998

ALCOHOL PROBLEMS IN THE ELDERLY MAY BE MISTAKEN FOR OLD AGE WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.ó Alcohol's effect on the elderly may be one reason why drinking problems in that age group are often ignored, says a Purdue University nursing expert.

"Elderly alcoholics are more common than people realize or want to believe," says Peg Krach (pronounced "crock"), associate professor of nursing, who studies problems associated with old age.

Many of the symptoms of alcoholism are problems typically attributed to old age, such as insomnia, poor concentration and depression, Krach says.

Even when the family correctly diagnoses alcoholism as the problem, the caregiver in a family, who is typically an older daughter, often believes it's hopeless to try to change the alcoholic behavior, Krach says. But pointing out the health problems caused by too much drinking can be a powerful motivator for an elderly alcoholic to change, she says.

"Older people especially are concerned about losing their mental faculties," says Krach, who tells of an 89-year-old woman who had a drinking problem for nearly 60 years. The woman finally quit drinking when she realized that she was unsafe to baby-sit for her great-grandchildren and decided she didn't want to be remembered as an old drunk.

Krach says elderly people start abusing alcohol as a way to cope with various losses such as a spouse, health, a job or financial security. Alcoholism in the elderly is particularly serious, she says, because many elderly are on several medications, which, when combined with alcohol, can be deadly.

How do you know if a person's drinking is really alcoholism? "Anytime drinking alcohol affects your health, then alcohol is a problem," Krach says.

The signals that an older person is a problem drinker may be more subtle than those of a younger drinker, but Krach offers these signs:

-- Increased indications of self-neglect or letting the house or apartment become cluttered and dirty if the person typically has been neat.

-- Confusion over simple things such as time of day or surroundings.

-- Repeated falls and accidents around home.

-- Drinking small amounts of alcohol on a daily basis.

-- Drinking at home alone rather than at bars or in other social settings.

If you suspect that an older family member has a drinking problem, gently confront the person without judgment and choose your words carefully, Krach suggests. "Confrontations should be less aggressive with an older drinker," she says. "You need to show that you accept them as someone with needs. Also, this age group grew up in a time when alcohol was considered a sin or a social stigma. So it's best to refer to it as a drinking problem rather than alcoholism."

Krach also recommends encouraging the elderly drinker to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings of people their own age. "And Al-Anon is a good source of information to help caregivers learn how to cope with a family member who has a drinking problem," she says.

CONTACT:
Krach, (765) 494-4026; home, (765) 463-2433; e-mail, [email protected].