Four Facts About Seniors and Drinking Alcohol

1. Alcohol contributes to 60 percent of falls - Because seniors often lose their dexterity and flexibility they may have balance problems that are made worse after a few drinks. The National Council on Aging states that one in four people over the age of 65 has a serious fall each year and it is the leading cause of fatal injuries among the elderly, so you can see why fall prevention is vital. Although falls may be non-fatal they can seriously compromise the mobility of seniors. Healing slows as we age, and an elderly person who faces an extended recovery from a fall injury is more prone to depression as they may be more isolated from social activities.

2. Increased sensitivity - The elderly may not realize they have an increased sensitivity to alcohol. Aging can lower the body’s tolerance for alcohol and older adults generally experience the effects of alcohol more quickly than when they were younger. This puts them at higher risks for falls, car crashes, and other unintentional injuries that may result from drinking. Some of the reasons for this is because as you age you lose muscle and alcohol takes longer to absorb which can damage vital organs and prevent medications from working properly. Also there is less water in our body as we age which is why dehydration is such a big concern for seniors in relation to drinking alcohol.

3. Increased health problems – liver disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, memory problems, congestive heart failure, mood disorders (such as depression) are all associated with excessive drinking of alcohol.

4. Reactions to medications – It may seem like common sense to not mix alcohol with medicine but many people do just that. Because seniors tend to take more medications than younger age groups the risk of a reaction goes up as well.

https://alcoholaddictioncenter.org/elder-alcohol-abuse/