Never too late: older people and alcohol misuse

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore some of the issues around older people and alcohol.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper highlights good practice through case studies and identifies some practical ways to prevent and reduce the risk of alcohol abuse by older people.

Findings

More brief intervention for older drinkers, more specialist projects for older drinkers, and training and support for staff in all services dealing with older people who misuse alcohol is urgently needed. Additionally, specialist training for dementia services to enable them to work effectively with alcohol‐related brain injury and drinkers in drug and alcohol services who are ageing are also needed. Finally, we need more research on substance misuse in older people, primarily in order to generate practical responses.

Originality/value

The epidemic of excessive drinking described by the media fails to include people over 65, even though there is plenty of evidence to show that they are experiencing many of the same social and economic pressures as young people.

Citation

Mortimer, J. (2011), "Never too late: older people and alcohol misuse", Working with Older People, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 71-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/13663661111144781