Does your Mom or Dad have an alcohol problem?

Serving Seniors Blog: July, 2011

If your elderly parents had an alcohol problem, would you be able to tell? Do you know the symptoms to look for? Would you know what to do? I've worked in many areas in my career including alcohol treatment, which has given me great insights, especially when dealing with the elderly. I fully understand the devastating effects alcohol abuse can have on the elderly and their families.

Alcohol abuse and the elderly is a serious problem. It has its share of pitfalls and also, doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The reasons range from denial, keeping secrets, elderly people out of view, the appearance of “good health” and as much as I don’t like to say it, family acceptance. Like many adult children of aging parents, they view these behaviors as normal signs of aging and this is not uncommon. Why? Because the effects of alcoholism may resemble those of aging, making diagnosis of alcoholism difficult with the elderly. Many symptoms - including aches and pains, insomnia, depression, anxiety, loss of memory and other mental problems - may be confused with normal signs of aging or side effects of medications. As a result, less than half of alcoholics over 65 are diagnosed and that’s not good news. While it is difficult to find hard statistics on today's elderly alcoholics, as much as 10% to 15% of health problems in this population may be linked to alcoholism.

This is becoming a baby boomer problem as the number of elderly alcoholics can be expected to increase due to the sheer number of baby boomers entering old age. To make matters worse, the baby boomer generation has higher rates of substance abuse than any previous generation and is a contributing factor.

The costs are great. Alcoholism in the elderly is dangerous to their health and safety, especially when they’re alone and in denial.

Get the help you need. If you know or suspect that your elderly parents have an alcohol problem, don’t ignore it, the problem won’t go away, and there’s professional help locally for you. My friend and business associate, Carol Glidden LMSW, CAADC, is a highly qualified therapist at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center in Warren, MI. She’s been working with older adults for over twenty years and recognizes that older adults who are 55+ years have multiple life changes that can lead to substance abuse, including alcohol. If you need her help, call her at 586-558-7472. I’ve also included this link to help you locate help in many different areas in MI if Warren isn’t convenient for you. Click on the area where you need assistance, the site will direct you to get the help you need: http://michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2941_4871_4877-151431--,00.html


Serving Seniors understands the effects of alcoholism in the elderly and can help direct you to get the help you need. We have a dedicated team of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and we look forward to helping you and your family. We offer you and your family peace of mind by offering you the best care there is. There is so much to gain and so much to lose by hiring the wrong people.

I’m proud to say that Serving Seniors has been recognized as one of the Top 30 Certified Geriatric Care Managers in the USA as recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. I welcome your comments to our posts. Let me know your thoughts and areas of interest and I’ll write on those topics.

Thanks,
Diane