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

Module Content Introduction The Problem Benefits and Risks of Alcohol Use Specific Concerns for Older Adults Who Should Never Drink Alcohol What Can You Do? Summary

Benefits and Risks of Alcohol Use

Research shows there are both benefits and risks to drinking alcohol in moderation. It is important to understand both the benefits and risks in order to make a good decision about alcohol use.

Benefits

• Psychological
  Alcohol can reduce stress and tension and improve mood.
• Cardiovascular
  Alcohol can reduce the risk of death from heart attack for both men and women.
• Social
  Alcohol can reduce inhibitions and shyness and make an individual more willing and able to interact with others.

Risks

• Stroke
  Alcohol can increase the risk of stroke caused by bleeding.
• Car accidents
  Alcohol causes confusion and slows the time it takes to react to a dangerous situation while driving.
• Interactions with medications
  Alcohol can interact harmfully with more than 100 medications and over-the-counter drugs. Alcohol causes some drugs to be more potent than intended and other drugs to be less effective in treating the intended condition. Certain medical problems can get worse or go unrecognized.
• Alcohol dependence
  Alcohol can lead to heavier drinking in some people. Recovering alcoholics and people who have family members with alcohol problems may not be able to stop at one or two drinks. Family problems, irritability, and violence can result.

Choosing To Drink Alcohol

There are tradeoffs involved in any decision about drinking. The risks may outweigh the health benefit one might get from alcohol. Little research has been done on the effects of alcohol on older adults and quality of life issues.

It is important to balance the use of alcohol with the potential for health risks. Any beneficial effects of alcohol can be achieved with alternatives, such as:

• Changing one's diet
• Beginning a simple exercise program
• Quitting smoking

Alternatives such as these can have a far greater impact on health than alcohol. For more information, see Module 8 on preventing misuse.