CONTENTS

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Overview
2. Alcohol
3. Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications
4. Barriers to Recognizing Problems
5. Signs and Symptoms of Misuse
6. Talking About Sensitive Issues
7. Assessing a Problem
8. Preventing Misuse
9. Intervention and Treatment

Supplements
Resources

Alcohol, Medication and Older Adults
For Those Who Care About or Care for an Older Adult

Introduction

Alcohol and medication use and misuse among older adults is one of the fastest growing health problems facing our country. Most people over 65 don't use illegal drugs. However, almost one in five older adults misuse alcohol and prescription drugs. The number of older adults with alcohol and drug problems will rise as more of us age. Sadly, this problem is largely unnoticed and under treated.

The Problem

Misuse of alcohol and medications is worse for older adults than younger adults. Because of the way aging changes the body, any alcohol use can present risks. For example, alcohol can:

• Speed up the normal decline in functioning that occurs with age,
• Increase the risk for falls, injury, and disability related to balance problems, and
• Trigger or worsen certain medical conditions.

Older adults have more chronic diseases and therefore take more prescription medicines. Some people take up to 10 different medicines a day. It is not uncommon to make mistakes in how much medicine to take or how often to take it. Using alcohol with certain medications can cause problems. Some symptoms related to errors or interactions with alcohol include:

• Confusion and difficulty thinking,
• Extreme daytime sleepiness,
• Depression, and
• Heart irregularities.

Over-the-counter medicines, the kind you buy off the shelf in the drugstorhttp://www.realvoice.com/article01.htme or grocery store, can also be misused. For example, mixing alcohol with some pain medications such as Tylenol can cause liver damage.