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Older Adults and Alcohol
You Can Get Help
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Whats Inside?
Read this booklet to learn about alcohol and aging.Share this booklet with your friends and family. Use
this booklet to start talking about how drinking maybe affecting your life.
Family suot can often make abig diffeence.
Dont miss the special section on page 13 to learn how
friends and family can help.
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Table of Contents
Get the Facts About Aging and Alcohol ....... 2
You can become more sensitiveto alcohol as you get older ..................................... 2
Heavy drinking can make somehealth problems worse ............................................ 3
Medicines and alcohol dont mix ............................ 4
There may be many reasonsto stop drinking ........................................................ 6
Thee Is Hel ................................................ 8
If you think you have a drinking problem,
here are some things you can do ........................... 8 Check off the tips you will try ................................ 9
You Questions Answeed ............................10
Fo Family, Fiends, and Caegies ............13
We Did ItSo Can You! ...............................16
Fo Moe Infomation ..................................18
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Get the Facts About
Aging and AlcoholYou can become moe sensitie toalcohol as you get olde.
Ill be 68 in Mach. Ie had a bee o two
eey night since I was in my mid-30s. Neehad a oblem until a few months ago.Lately, when I dink my bee, I feel a littletisy. My son says I am sluing my wods.Whats going on?
As people age, they may become more sensitive toalcohols effects. The same amount of alcohol can havea greater effect on an older person than on someone
who is younger. Over time, someone whose drinkinghabits haven't changed may find she or he hasa problem.
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Heay dinking can make some healthoblems wose.
I take medicine to kee my diabetesunde contol. Eey night I hae a couleof shots of whiskey. Now my docto says Ineed to sto dinking. It isnt going to beeasy, but I guess its something I need to
do to stay healthy.
Heavy drinking can make some health problemsworse. It is important to talk to your doctor if youhave problems like high blood sugar (diabetes). Heavydrinking can also cause health problems such as weak
bones (osteoporosis).
Older adults are more likely to have healthproblems that can be made worse by alcohol.Some of these health problems are:
n Stroke
n High blood pressure
n Memory loss
n Mood disorders
Talk with your doctor or other health care worker abouthow alcohol can affect your health.
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Medicines and alcohol dont mix.
I was taking stong medicine fo abad cold. When I had my usual glass of
wine at dinne, I felt dizzy. Thats neehaened befoe.
Many prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal
remedies can be dangerous or even deadly whenmixed with alcohol. Always ask your doctor orpharmacist if you can safely drink alcohol. Readthe labels on all of your medicines. Some labels say,Do not use with alcohol.
Did you know?
n Taking aspirin and drinking alcohol can raisethe chance of bleeding in your stomach.
n You can get very sleepy if you drink alcoholand take cold and allergy medicines.
n Some cough syrups have a high amount ofalcohol in them.
n Drinking alcohol while taking some sleepingpills, pain pills, or anxiety or depressionmedicine can be very dangerous.
n You can hurt your liver if you drink andtake a lot of painkillers that have the wordacetaminophen on the label. Always checkthe warning labels.
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Thee may be many easons tosto dinking.
Check off any reasons that sound true for you.
I would like to quit drinking because:
I want to be healthy by keeping my high blood
sugar (diabetes) under control. I want to lower my blood pressure.
I want to keep my liver working right.
I dont want to hurt anyone by driving after Ivebeen drinking.
I dont want to fall and hurt myself. Im tired of feeling sleepy or sick the morning
after I drink.
I want to enjoy the things I used to do.
I want to stop feeling embarrassed about how I
act when drinking. List other reasons here:
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Some people can cut back on theirdrinking. Some people need to stop drinking
altogether. Making a change in your drinkinghabits can be hard. Do not give up! If you donot reach your goal the first time, try again.
Ask your family and friends for help. Talk toyour doctor if you are having trouble quitting.Get the hel you need.
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There Is Help
If you think you hae a dinking oblem,hee ae some things you can do:
n Find a support group for older adults withalcohol problems.
n
Talk to a health care professional like your doctor.Ask about medicines that might help.
n Visit a trained counselor who knows aboutalcohol problems and how they affectolder adults.
n Choose individual, group, or family therapy,
depending on what works for you.
n Join a 12-step program such as AA, which isshort for Alcoholics Anonymous. AA groups offersupport and have programs for people who wantto quit drinking.
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Check off the tis you will ty:
Remove alcohol from your home.
When you drink, sip slowly. Eat food when youare drinkingdont drink on an empty stomach.
Politely say no thanks or Ill have a sodainstead when offered a drink.
Avoid drinking when you are angry or upset or
have had a bad day.
Stay away from people who drink a lot and theplaces where you used to drink. Plan what you
will do if you are tempted to drink.
Call your doctor or other heathcare worker, thesenior center near you, or your local Area Agencyon Aging to find the names of places where youcan get help.
Reward yourself for not drinking! Use the timeand money spent on drinking to do something
you enjoy.
Have you been a heavy drinker for years or doyou drink often? It is important to talk to yourdoctor before making a change in your drinking.There may be some side effects from a suddenchange. Medicine can help.
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Your Questions Answered
Q:Whats too much for a person over age 65 to drinkeach week? Each day?
A: Everyone is different. If you are healthy and65 years or older, you should not have more than7 drinks in a week. Dont have more than3 drinks on any given day.
Do you have a health problem? Are you takingcertain medicines? You may need to drink less ornot drink at all. Talk to your doctor.
Q: What counts as one drink?
A: One drink is equal to one of the following:One 12-ounce can or bottleof regular beer, ale, or wine cooler
One 8- or 9-ounce can orbottle of malt liquor
One 5-ounce glass of redor white wine
One 1.5-ounce shot glass of hard liquor(spirits). The label will say 80 proof orless. Spirits include whiskey, gin, vodka,rum, and other hard liquors.
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Drinks may be stronger than you think.Some mixed drinks may have more than one
1.5-ounce shot of liquor in them.
Q:My neighbor was never much of a drinker, butsince he retired I see him sitting in the backyardevery day, drinking. Is it really possible for
someone to start to have a drinking problemlater in life?
A: Some adults do develop a drinking problem whenthey get older. Health worries, boredom afterretirement, or the death of friends and loved onesare some of the reasons why older people start
drinking. Feeling tense or depressed can alsosometimes be a trigger for drinking.
Q: I am worried that my cousin Ruby has a drinkingproblem. We play cards every week and she drinksthrough most of the game. The other women inour group have noticed this as well. When I told
Ruby we were worried, she just laughed. Is thereanything we can do?
A: It isnt always easy to get people to say that theyhave a drinking problem. Some older adults maybe ashamed about their drinking. Others mayfeel their drinking doesnt hurt anyone. Turn to
page 13 to learn how you can offer support andget help for yourself.
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Q: Is it true that drinking a glass of red wine every dayis good for my health?
A: This may be true for some people, but if youhave a problem with alcohol, its better for youto avoid drinking at all. You can get many of thesame health benefits from a glass of grape juice.
Ask your doctor or another health care workerfor advice.
Q: I have been drinking for most of my adult life.Is it too late to quit?
A: No. Many older adults decide to quit drinkinglater in life. Treatment can work! Changing an oldhabit is not easy, but it can be done.
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Did you know? Older women can haveproblems with alcohol. In fact, they are moresensitive than men to the effects of alcohol.
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For Family, Friends, and
CaregiversHae you ee thought
Its had to know what to do. When I ty totalk to my fiend about his dinking, he gets
ey uset and changes the subject.
Im woied that my mothe takes a lot ofmedicines and still dinks. But, I hae noidea if he docto knows this. How can I gethe to talk to he docto about he dinking?
Sometimes I think I shouldnt say anythingabout my uncles dinking. Then somethinghaens, like last week he fell and buisedhis am and face. Ill bet he was dunk. Howam I suosed to ignoe that?
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You cant force someone to get help, but here are stepsyou can take to help.
Ste 1: Talk.
n Talk about your worries when the person is sober.Try to say what you think or feel, like I amconcerned about your drinking.
n Give facts. Some people find it helpful just
to get information. You could say, I want toshare some things Ive learned about olderadults and alcohol.
n Try to stay away from labels like alcoholic.
n Ask to go to doctor visits with yourfamily member.
Ste 2: Offe you hel.
n Suggest things to do that dont include drinking.
n Encourage counseling or attending a groupmeeting. Offer to drive to and from thesesupport meetings.
n Give your support during treatment.
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Ste 3: Take cae of youself.
nYou need support, too. Think about what youneed to stay safe and healthy.
n Involve other family members or friends so youare not in this alone. Talk honestly about how
you are feeling. Try to say what support or helpyou need.
n Try going to counseling or special meetings thatoffer support to families and friends of people
with drinking problems.
There may be programs such as Al-Anon at yourlocal hospital or clinic. Al-Anon is listed in the
white pages of your local phone book, or call
1-888-425-2666 to find a meeting near you.
Rememberyou cant make a person deal witha drinking problem. You can offer support andget help for yourself.
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We Did ItSo Can You!
You can make changes in your drinking habits evenif you are an older adult. Here are some stories aboutpeople who are like you. Each one has made changesin his or her drinking.
No dinking with medicines.
My docto said now that Im taking allthese medicines, I shouldnt dink at all.Haing a few bees each night could causeeen bigge health oblems. I decided thatthe dinking wasnt woth it.
Sobe fo 4 yeas and going stong.I dank heaily fom the time I was 22 untilI was 69. I nee thought I would be able toquit. But I did. It wasnt easy. I had a lot ofhel. I still take it a day at a time. Its been4 yeas and so fa, so good.
Found actiities I enjoy.Afte I etied, I was boed. I suose I dankto ass the time. My wife uged me to join heat the senio cente. A gou of us lay cadsa few times a week. Haing fun elaceddinking, and I dont een miss it.
Cutting back or quitting can be hard. But, youhave probably done other hard things in yourlife. You can do this, too.
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For More Information
To lean moe about health and aging:
National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)
1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation
To lean moe about dinking oblems:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
1-301-443-3860www.niaaa.nih.gov
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To find out how to get hel:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)Look up Alcoholics Anonymous in your local phone book.
AAs main office:Grand Central StationP.O. Box 459New York, NY 101631-212-870-3400
www.aa.org
Al-AnonLook up Al-Anon in your local phone book or call1-888-425-2666 (toll-free) to find a meeting near you.
Al-Anons main office:1600 Corporate Landing Parkway
Virginia Beach, VA 234541-757-563-1600www.al-anon.alateen.org
Eldercare LocatorContact this service to ask about resources near you.1-800-677-1116 (toll-free)www.eldercare.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services1-800-662-4357 (toll-free)
When you call this toll-free number, a recordedmessage gives you the following choices: speak with
someone about substance abuse treatment, ask forprinted material on alcohol or drugs, or get a referralto local substance abuse treatment.
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Notes
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National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
U.S. DEpArTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SErvICES
NIH publication Numbe 08-7350
Decembe 2008
