Alcohol and Senior Citizens
Within the past few years, alcoholism among the elderly has been found to be a bigger problem than one might think. What's really surprising about this trend is that in retrospect, some evidence has been found to suggest that this phenomenon is nothing new. In fact, alcoholism among maturing baby boomers has been a silent threat to the health of these individuals for quite some time now. Since knowledge of this problem was first announced, action to solve the problem has been slow moving. It is estimated that today, almost half of elderly individuals suffering from alcoholism remain undetected. When these individuals use their health insurance for check ups and treatment, health care professionals misdiagnose patients by focusing on secondary ailments such as dementia, depression, insomnia or gastrointestinal problems. What these physicians fail to realize is that a true cause of the troubles that they diagnose among the elderly is alcoholism. The type of alcoholism that besets the elderly is called "late onset alcoholism". It is termed as such to deviate it from early onset alcoholism that usually begins earlier in life for the bulk individuals. Late onset type of alcoholism on the other hand is developed by the elderly usually as a response to the situations unique to this age bracket. For instance, death of a spouse, moving to a retirement home, being away from family and having a wonderful pension and on the one hand, worrying about wealth and these are only some of the triggers that can initiate drug dependence and alcoholism among the elderly. Another trigger that may be unique to this demographic is morbidity from lifestyle modifications due to physical troubles that come with old age as well. Children should note that moving their parents to a retirement home may create the exact environment that leads to alcoholism. The depression that may set in from being placed in a home may lead the elderly to alcoholism and the ironic truth is, a home provides a lot opportunities to drink and feed the alcoholic condition. It is noted that women are more susceptible toward late onset alcoholism than men. Also, men are more likely to admit they have a problem and seek aid for the condition while women tend to suffer silently in guilt and shame. Also the inability of family members to recognize and accept the condition impedes the individual suffering from alcoholism from seeking aid and getting out of the condition. Senior citizens diagnosed with alcoholism seeking treatment may look towards the government for aid. Government issued medical insurance will pay for some treatment although it may be insufficient for most. The correct treatment required by the elderly suffering from alcoholism is pretty much a holistic approach that is used for other alcoholics of a younger demographic. Alcoholism among the elderly is a dangerous problem for a lot reasons; all mostly involve physical troubles and lead to mortality among those with this condition. Elderly people are usually on heavy medications for a lot physiological factors caused by aging. Alcohol creates an adverse effect when combined with the bulk medications. Mixing alcohol with some medications can lead to death. Some elderly may also suffer from physical trauma from falls and accidents caused by excessive alcoholic intake and alcoholism. As we age, the body's physiology modifications and our normal tolerance for alcohol is greatly decreased. This means that a standard drink may have double the effect on an elderly individual than on a younger individual. This means that the harsh detrimental effects of alcohol can be much sturdier and therefore more lethal among elderly. In fact, it said that alcoholism is a main cause of death among the elderly even over cardiovascular disease. Detecting alcoholism among the elderly is not easy but care givers can aid identify some problem signs that may be indicative of the condition. For instance, frequent falls may be due to alcoholism more than any other reason. Signs of alcoholism must also be looked at especially if the elderly being cared for had just recently experienced loss and is susceptible to depression and morbidity. More recognition must be given to identifying and helping the elderly suffering from alcoholism because it's expected that one of six baby boomers will suffer from late onset alcoholism and this is a almighty social problem as well as an economic one as the government will have to allot significant resources on healthcare troubles caused by alcoholism. |
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