Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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An exploratory study of substance abuse among Latino older adults
- Author:
- ANDREWS Christina
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(1/2), 2008, pp.87-108.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Substance abuse is increasing among older people in the USA, and trends in the Hispanic community are of particular concern. Providing effective treatment will require both age-specific and culturally appropriate interventions, and the results of this study are designed to lay the foundations for the development of such interventions. Two groups of key informants were surveyed: social workers with expertise in gerontology, substance abuse or both; and community-based substance abuse treatment providers. Findings are presented on perceived trends in alcohol abuse (seen as a major problem), illicit drug abuse (seen as a minor but growing and possibly hidden problem), and treatment issues. These include under-referral, a lack of culturally competent practitioners, and the need to address problems from the family perspective. The implications for research and practice are discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Cognitive impairment and treatment outcomes amongst people attending an alcohol intervention service for those aged 50+
- Authors:
- SEDDON Jennifer, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 14(2), 2021, pp.58-69.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: No studies have evaluated the relationship between cognitive impairment and alcohol treatment outcomes amongst older drinkers. This study aims to explore the extent of cognitive impairment amongst older adults seeking alcohol treatment and examine the relationship between cognitive impairment, treatment retention and alcohol use following treatment. Design/methodology/approach: The study used data from the Drink Wise Age Well programme; an alcohol intervention service for older adults (aged 50+). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to screen for cognitive impairment; alcohol use was assessed using the alcohol use disorders identification test. Findings: In total, 531 participants completed the assessment at treatment entry. Over half the sample were male (57%), with a mean age of 60 years (Standard deviation: 7.09). Almost half (48.4%) had cognitive impairment at the entry to treatment: 51.6% had a normal cognitive function, 41.4% had mild cognitive impairment, 5.8% had moderate cognitive impairment and 1.1% had severe cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was not associated with increased treatment drop-out and was not predictive of alcohol use following treatment. Alcohol treatment was associated with a significant improvement in cognitive functioning. Originality/value: This study suggests there may be a significant amount of unidentified cognitive impairment amongst older adults attending alcohol treatment. Assessment and routine screening for cognitive impairment in drug and alcohol services may help in care planning and setting treatment goals; in the absence of routine screening opportunities for treatment planning and intervention may be missed. (Edited publisher abstract)
Effective treatments for older adult baby boomers with alcohol-use disorders: a literature review
- Authors:
- QUINN Adam, MOWBRAY Orion
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 18(4), 2018, pp.389-410.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Research on patterns of alcohol use among the older adult baby boomer birth cohort suggests considerable challenges to the health care system in the coming decades. This review contributes to the growing knowledge base by summarizing and categorizing the most effective alcohol-use treatments for use with the baby boomer cohort. Following a manual search of more than 7,000 articles published between 1990 and 2015, a review of 19 relevant articles was performed based on guidelines set by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Five articles were rated as good, 11 were rated as fair, and 3 were rated as poor. The publications were divided into 4 interpretive categories consisting of clinic-based interventions, mail-based interventions, primary care physician feedback, and day treatment. Overall, the results suggest that cognitive behaviour-based treatments for alcohol-use disorders, both clinic-based and mail-based, might be effective in reducing drinking among baby boomers. Implications and future research are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)
Interventions to prevent and reduce excessive alcohol consumption in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors:
- KELLY Sarah, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 47(2), 2018, pp.175-184.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background: harmful alcohol consumption is reported to be increasing in older people. To intervene and reduce associated risks, evidence currently available needs to be identified. Methods: two systematic reviews in older populations (55+ years): (1) Interventions to prevent or reduce excessive alcohol consumption; (2) Interventions as (1) also reporting cognitive and dementia outcomes. Comprehensive database searches from 2000 to November 2016 for studies in English, from OECD countries. Alcohol dependence treatment excluded. Data were synthesised narratively and using meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using NICE methodology. Reviews are reported according to PRISMA. Results: thirteen studies were identified, but none with cognition or dementia outcomes. Three related to primary prevention; 10 targeted harmful or hazardous older drinkers. A complex range of interventions, intensity and delivery was found. There was an overall intervention effect for 3- and 6-month outcomes combined (8 studies; 3,591 participants; pooled standard mean difference (SMD) −0.18 (95% CI −0.28, −0.07) and 12 months (6 studies; 2,788 participants SMD −0.16 (95% CI −0.32, −0.01) but risk of bias for most studies was unclear with significant heterogeneity. Limited evidence (three studies) suggested more intensive interventions with personalised feedback, physician advice, educational materials, follow-up could be most effective. However, simple interventions including brief interventions, leaflets, alcohol assessments with advice to reduce drinking could also have a positive effect. Conclusions: alcohol interventions in older people may be effective but studies were at unclear or high risk of bias. Evidence gaps include primary prevention, cost-effectiveness, impact on cognitive and dementia outcomes. (Publisher abstract)
Living longer, living well: how we can achieve the World Health Organization's '25 by 25' goals in the UK
- Author:
- RICHMOND GROUP OF CHARITIES
- Publisher:
- Richmond Group of Charities
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 18
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarises the findings of an in-depth research project (PROMISE) to try to understand the future trends for the most prevalent long-term health conditions in the UK, specifically how many people are either dying early from these conditions, or living with continued disability and poor health. The study also identified interventions that could prevent or reduce the incidence of these long‑term conditions that could be applied to the whole UK population, focusing on major lifestyle risks which contribute to those conditions. The PROMISE study used the ‘25 by 25’ goals from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a benchmark against which to measure UK trends. It found that if current trends continue, by 2025 we should see 25% fewer early deaths in women and 22% in men in the UK, from the long-term conditions considered. The study identified 12 potentially effective interventions and modelled four of these in depth: food reformulation; an increase in tobacco tax; adding restrictions on alcohol marketing; and increasing physical activity via advice delivered in GP practices. The research showed that each of these interventions would have a substantial positive impact on reducing preventable mortality and disability over a 10-year period. (Edited publisher abstract)
Lessons on social and health disparities from older lesbians with alcoholism and the role of interventions to promote culturally competent services
- Authors:
- ROWAN Noell L., GIUNTA Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(2), 2015, pp.210-216.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Older adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) face greater health risks and possibly more costly care because of their reluctance to seek out health and long-term care services because of limited cultural sensitivity of service providers. This is particularly evident in older lesbians who face substantial risk of health problems associated with alcoholism and are less likely to be open with health care providers because of stigma combined with feelings of alienation, stress, and depression. More culturally competent health and long-term care may reduce health care costs by effectively addressing the dynamics of alcoholism, ageing, and lesbian culture. Training initiatives such as those developed by the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging in the United States have begun to address the need of a more culturally competent ageing services network. This article provides exemplars from empirical data on older lesbians with alcoholism to highlight some of the health, economic, and social disparities experienced in the ageing LGBT community. Current interventions in the form of cultural competence training for service providers are presented as a potential step toward addressing health disparities among LGBT older adults. (Edited publisher abstract)
Revisiting baby boomers and alcohol use: emerging treatment trends
- Authors:
- BABATUNDE Oyinlola T., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24(5), 2014, pp.597-611.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
With the aging of the “Baby Boom” generation, it is anticipated that there will be a greater frequency of alcohol misuse among older adults. Clinicians often overlook signs of alcohol abuse in older adults or misdiagnose these problems. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the problems with alcohol use in older adults to further create awareness of the importance of appropriate strategies to reduce incidence. We consider the severity of alcohol abuse, factors that can aggravate alcohol use, and methods of implementing treatment in this population. (Publisher abstract)
Working with older drinkers
- Authors:
- WADD S., et al
- Publisher:
- University of Bedfordshire. Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 33p.
- Place of publication:
- Luton
Evidence suggests that a significant and growing number of older people are at risk of alcohol-related harm, with a steady increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by older age groups in recent years. However, little is known about the nature of the problem and what strategies and treatment approaches work best with older drinkers. The aim of this study was to address this deficit by synthesising relevant published literature, insight from substance misuse practitioners who specialise in working with older people and the perspectives of older people with alcohol problems. One-to-one interviews were carried out with 11 older clients aged between 55 and 73 and a further 15 clients aged 50 and over took part in a focus group. Moderate drinking in later life had a beneficial effect on all-cause mortality and confers a number of psychological benefits, possibly through reduced stress and improved mood and sociability. However multiple biological, psychological and social changes that accompany the ageing process make older people uniquely vulnerable to alcohol problems. The report concluded that frontline health and social care staff may need to increase their competency in recognising and intervening with older people suspected of having an alcohol problem. Education and training for these workers should address attitudes and beliefs towards alcohol problems in old age.
Never too late: older people and alcohol misuse
- Author:
- MORTIMER Jacky
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 15(2), 2011, pp.71-79.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper explores some of the issues around older people and alcohol. 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. 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, the need more research on substance misuse in older people, primarily in order to generate practical responses is highlighted.
Harm reduction among at-risk elderly drinkers: a site-specific analysis from the multi-site Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse and Mental Health for Elderly (PRISM-E) study
- Authors:
- LEE Heather Sophia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(1), January 2009, pp.54-60.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A site-specific secondary data analysis of Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse and Mental Health for Elders study (PRISM-E) was used to assess the efficacy of a harm-reduction based intervention to enhance access to treatment and clinical outcomes among elderly at-risk drinkers. Thirty-four at-risk drinkers age 65 or older who were randomized into one of two treatment conditions: an integrated care condition which incorporated a harm-reduction based approach to treatment and an enhanced referral condition. Access to subsequent services and clinical outcomes were examined 6 months post index-interview date. Clinical outcomes included changes in the number of drinks in the week prior to assessment, changes in the number of binges in the past 3 months prior to assessment, and changes in scores on the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test-Geriatric Version (SMAST-G). At-risk drinkers in the integrated care condition were more likely to access treatment than at-risk drinkers assigned to the enhanced referral condition. Among those who received treatment, there were no differences in the total amount of treatment visits or in the number of brief alcohol interventions received among at-risk drinkers in the two conditions. However, those in integrated care condition received services sooner than those in the referral condition. Those in the integrated care condition showed a significant decrease in the number of drinks in the past week and in the number of binge drinking episodes in the past 3 months while there were no significant changes in these outcomes among the at-risk drinkers in the enhanced referral condition. At-risk drinkers in the integrated care condition were more likely to access treatment and decrease harmful drinking behaviours than those in the enhanced referral condition. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed.