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

Medical Factors

Multiple medications for chronic disease(s)
Multiple prescriptions present certain hazards. One drug might increase, reduce, or neutralize the effects of another drug. Drugs may also produce harmful interactions. Multiple drugs and complex medication regimens create additional risks, such as:

• Dosage schedules often become more complicated.
• The risk of bad drug reactions increases with each drug a person takes. Older adults are almost twice as likely as younger people to have adverse drug reactions.
• Errors are common when an older person has to coordinate three or more prescriptions at one time, each of which is taken at a different time, some with food, some without food.

Sensory decline
A person with a hearing problem may not hear instructions for taking medications correctly. Poor vision may make it difficult to read labels. Even warning labels are often in small print.

Physical ailments
Arthritis, weakness, and nausea can pose problems with opening medicine bottles and swallowing pills.

Physical recovery
As older adults begin to feel better, they may stop taking a drug before the full course of treatment is complete.