Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Types of substance misuse and risk factors
- Author:
- RASSOOL G. Hussein
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 24.7.12, 2012, pp.12-14.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Substance misuse in older adults is common but remains under recognised. Patterns of misuse in this group, the risk factors for alcohol misuse (which include psychological, medial and practical problems), and the effects of this misuse are discussed. The article also covers addiction to nicotine and other substances.
Alone with the bottle
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 15.11.01, 2001, pp.40-41.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
A primary assessment team for older people looks at the case of a heavy drinker who lives alone, neglects herself and often refuses help.
Last orders
- Author:
- VALIOS Natalie
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 18.5.00, 2000, p.29.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Older people who misuse alcohol put themselves at risk and place their care workers in a quandary. They ask whether they should limit access to alcohol or purely seek to address the underlying causes.
Depression, alcoholism and ageing: a brief review
- Author:
- ATKINSON Roland
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14(11), November 1999, pp.905-910.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Provides an overview of the relationship between depression and alcoholism in old age.
The right to take risks: alcohol and older people
- Authors:
- HERRING Rachel, THOM Betsy
- Journal article citation:
- Social Policy and Administration, 31(3), September 1997, pp.233-246.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Examines policy and practice regarding the purchase of older clients of home carers in three local authorities in the Greater London area. Data were gathered from interviews with home carers and their managers, focus group discussions, and a postal survey. None of the local authorities had a written policy or written guidance on alcohol purchase or on appropriate responses to the identification of problematic drinking in older clients. The findings illustrate the problem of balancing "rights" and "risks" within a philosophy of community care which emphasises client choice and autonomy, and show how policy and practice are "tailored" by local contexts. Suggests that both home carers and other domiciliary workers, as well as their older clients, could benefit from a clear code of practice regarding responses to alcohol consumption and problematic drinking by older people.
Alcohol misuse in older people: the role of home carers
- Author:
- HERRING Rachel
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 5(4), July 1997, pp.237-245.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article begins with a brief overview of the literature on alcohol misuse in older people, and discusses some of the problems of identifying and responding to problem drinking in the elderly. The paper then examines the potential role of one group of workers, home carers who, for many elderly people, are a crucial link to the world beyond their homes. It is suggested that home carers are well placed to respond to risky drinking among elderly people but that they experience both structural and personal barriers to adopting a more active role. The provision of appropriate information and training may go some way towards encouraging carers to remain alert to alcohol related problems in elderly clients but supportive, accessible services are also required.
Enhancing our understanding of drinking in later life: qualitative data refreshes parts that other data cannot reach
- Author:
- FUDGE Nina
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 48(1), 2019, pp.3-5.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article considers how older people can be at risk of alcohol-related harm. It points out that qualitative studies on drinking in older age provide nuanced detail on the routines and practices behind drinking in later life. For example: most adults consider themselves responsible drinkers; ‘othering’ differentiates themselves from heavier and riskier drinkers and drinking alcohol in later life can be pleasurable, helping to ease social interactions and structure post-retirement day. It concludes that qualitative evidence can be used to develop public health interventions that speak to the people they are intended for. (Original abstract)
Alcohol consumption in midlife and old age and risk of frailty: alcohol paradox in a 30-year follow-up study
- Authors:
- STRANDBERG Arto Y, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 47(2), 2018, pp.248-254.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background: alcohol consumption has many harmful health effects, but also benefits of moderate consumption on frailty have been reported. We examined this relationship longitudinally from midlife to old age. Methods: data of reported alcohol consumption in midlife (year 1974) and in old age (years 2000 and 2003) were available of a socioeconomically homogenous sample of 2360 men (born 1919–34, the Helsinki Businessmen Study). Alcohol consumption was divided into zero (N = 131 at baseline), light (1–98 g/week, N = 920), moderate (99–196, N = 593), and high consumption (>196, n = 716). Incidence of phenotypic frailty and prefrailty was assessed in 2000 and 2003. Alcohol consumption (reference 1–98 g/week, adjusted for age, body mass index and smoking) was related to frailty both longitudinally (from 1974 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2003) and cross-sectionally in 2000 and 2003. Results: during a 30-year follow-up, high consumption clearly decreased whereas lighter consumption remained stable. High consumption in midlife predicted both frailty (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–2.56) and prefrailty (1.42; 1.06–1.92) in 2000, association with zero and moderate consumption was insignificant. Cross-sectionally in 2000, both zero (2.08; 1.17–3.68) and high consumption (1.83; 1.07–3.13) were associated with frailty, while in 2003 only zero consumption showed this association (2.47; 1.25–4.88). Conclusion: the relationship between alcohol and frailty is a paradox during the life course. High, not zero, consumption in midlife predicts old age frailty, while zero consumption in old age is associated with frailty, probably reflecting reverse causality. (Publisher abstract)
Social networks and alcohol use among older adults: a comparison with middle-aged adults
- Authors:
- KIM Seungyoun, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(4), 2018, pp.550-557.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This study compared the association between social networks and alcohol consumption among middle-aged (MA) and older adults (OA) to better understand the nature of the relationship between those two factors among OA and MA. Method: We examined Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Current drinkers aged over 50 were subdivided into two age groups: MA (50–64, n = 5214) and OA (65 and older, n = 3070). Each age group was stratified into drinking levels (low-risk vs. at-risk) based on alcohol consumption. The size and diversity of social networks were measured. Logistic regression models were used to examine age differences in the association between the social networks (size and diversity) and the probability of at-risk drinking among two age groups. Results: A significant association between the social networks diversity and lower odds of at-risk drinking was found among MA and OA. However, the relationship between the diversity of social networks and the likelihood of at-risk drinking was weaker for OA than for MA. The association between social networks size and at-risk drinking was not significant among MA and OA. Conclusion: The current study suggests that the association between social networks diversity and alcohol use among OA differs from the association among MA, and few social networks were associated with alcohol use among OA. In the future, research should consider an in-depth exploration of the nature of social networks and alcohol consumption by using longitudinal designs and advanced methods of exploring drinking networks. (Publisher abstract)
Rates and previous disease history in old age suicide
- Authors:
- KOPONEN Hannu J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(1), January 2007, pp.38-46.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Suicide rates in persons over 65 have been reported to be higher than those of younger age groups. Since the absolute number of suicides in the elderly is expected to rise, more precise ways to identify potential risk factors for elderly suicides are needed. On the basis of forensic examinations suicide rates and methods in elderly Finns of northern Finland were compared with those of adults aged 18-64 years. Data from earlier illnesses of the suicide victims were scrutinized for records of multiple physical disorders. Over the 15-year period the mean annual suicide rate per population of 100 000 was significantly lower in the elderly (22.5) than adults aged 18-64 years (38.4). A decrease in suicide rates over time occurred in both groups. Suicide methods among elderly were more often violent, and they were seldom under the influence of alcohol. They also had a high prevalence of previous hospital-treated depressive episodes and hospital-treated physical illnesses. A lifetime history of hospital-treated depression was more common among elderly victims who had received hospital treatment for genitourinary diseases, injuries or poisonings after their 50th birthday. These results from elderly suicide victims suggest an association between multiple physical illnesses and a history of depression. Especially, genitourinary diseases as well as hospital treatment due to injuries or poisonings were shown to associate with depression. Elderly Northern Finns showed lower suicide rates, and they decreased during the study period suggesting that active preventive measures against suicide are also feasible in the elderly.