Alcohol Abuse Among the Elderly Population
Alcohol abuse among the elderly is a widespread problem through the United States. It is hard to discover by physicians and medical providers, because many of these people have been abusing alcohol secretly for years. The population is extremely unlikely to admit that they have problems with alcohol, especially during a routine health care visit. As many as 15% of the population over 65 may be heavy drinkers, although this number is hard to pin down.
Elderly people usually drink due 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 produce both benefits and risks. In terms of benefits, men who drink two to six alcoholic......
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