Alcohol Abuse in the Elderly

Abstract

Concern for the physical and mental health of the elderly is growing, in part, due to the fact that the Nation's population is aging. Geriatric alcohol use and abuse and alcohol treatment programs for the elderly are relatively new and pertinent research efforts are gaining increased attention. Although alcohol use typically declines with age, research suggests the existence of a sizable segment of problem of drinkers among the elderly. To date, the paucity of well controlled research of this problem appears associated with difficulty to identify elder problem drinkers for reasons such as underreporting of true alcohol consumption, isolation of the elder from social contacts, and due to inadequate screening instruments designed to diagnose the elderly alcohol abuser. Current trends suggest that alcohol consumption of the elderly will continue to grow in the future and will present a major concern for the professional in the assessment and treatment of the elderly.