Alcohol Consumption by the Elder
Member of the Family – What You
Can Do
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A number of health concerns common to elder care rise in case of alcohol abuse. The
balance becomes less steady, so it is more likely for such elders to experience falls
leading to serious injuries. It also causes incontinence issues, leading to poor
hygiene, infections and skin damage. While the harmful impact of alcohol on the
neurological system is well-documented for all age groups and no one should drive
while drinking. If this happens, you must know that now you require external
intervention. Such behaviour needs to be stopped immediately as it puts the safety of
other people at risk.
At times, people who feel embarrassed about their alcohol consumption, report falsely
about the amount of alcohol they consume. Under such situation, you can easily
determine the amount of alcohol been bought through credit card receipts or the
amount that came in from shopping and the amount that is left behind to get the
accurate idea about alcohol consumption.
In case the elder does not have a known history of alcohol abuse and there is no
onset of dementia than the best approach is possibly a direct discussion. Most elders
respond defensively when they are confronted for alcohol abuse. The objective is to
encourage health and offer support and not to induce embarrassment. If the elder
feels humiliated or ashamed then it can make it difficult for them to accept help. In
such situation, a family friend or a professional counsellor can be a better choice.
Sometimes the elder person has a medical condition that involves the physician’s
recommendation about avoiding alcohol such as a prescribed drug treatment that
restricts the use of alcohol. In such situation, one can engage the physician in the
discussion. It may not make the elder person willing to quit but can assist in
establishing a firm and unbiased opinion in the discussion and provides the ground
for asserting that alcohol intake should be restricted.