Alcohol Abuse Among the Elderly Essay

Alcohol abuse among the senior(a) is a widespread problem through the United States. It is hard to keep by medical students and medical providers, because many of these people hold in been abusing alcoholic drink in secret for years. The population is extremely unlikely to admit that they have problems with alcohol, especially during a routine health c ar visit. As many as 15% of the population over 65 may be heavy drinkers, although this shape is hard to pin down. Elderly people usually drink cod to depression, loneliness and lack of social support.Most alcohol abuse comes from a lifetime history whereas others develop alcoholic drinking patterns later in life. Alcoholism accounts for more than 15% of health care costs in the elderly. It is associated with an estimated 100,000 deaths per year in the United States. Alcohol consumption can make both benefits and risks. In terms of benefits, men who drink two to sextette alcoholic beverages per week have decreased mortality rates and degrade cardiovascular disease when compared with abstainers.On the negative side, two studies of 300,000 men present increased mortality among those consuming more than 2 to 3 drinks daily. Women, are more affected by less alcohol than men, perhaps because they have a lower blood volume, and so its distribution and decreased activity for gastric alcohol dehydrogenase are increased. The primary care physician plays an important role in making the diagnosis and in portion the older alcoholic receive proper medical and psychological care.As patients grow older, and develop conditions that require prescription and over the counter medications, opportunities for unplayful alcohol/drug interactions increase. Elderly patients should be encouraged to monitor their alcohol intake so that it does not conflict with their medications. When a problem is identified, let by counseling patients and the family. Increased social support may be all that is needed to stop excessive alco hol consumption by some older patients. Reference Butler, Robert (June, 1998) Alcoholism and the later years. Geriatrics pg. 1-2.