Reducing Alcohol-Related Harm in Older People: A Public Health Approach

Sarah Wadd March 2014

Public Health Approach to Prevention

Surveillance: What is the problem?

Identify risk and protective factors:

What are the causes?

Develop and evaluation

interventions:What works and for

whom?

Implementation:Scaling up effective

policy and programmes

What is the extent of the problem?

• 1.4 million older people exceed drink limits.

• More than half a million alcohol related hospital admissions each year.

• More likely to be admitted to hospital or die from alcohol-related problem.

• Levels of harm increasing fastest in this age group.

• Drink driving prosecutions increasing.

The time to act is now

What is alcohol prevention?• Preventing new alcohol problems

developing.• Providing interventions and treatment

for hazardous, harmful and dependent drinkers.• Reducing harm in people unable or

unwilling to reduce/stop drinking.

Is it worth it?• 1 in 3 alcohol problems in older people

develop in later life.• Many alcohol-related harms are reversible.• Older people more likely to be treated

successfully.• Even those with long history of misuse can

change.• Prevention much cheaper than dealing with

consequences alcohol-related harm.

National Policy• Regulating physical availability• Taxation and pricing• Drink driving• Treatment and early intervention• Controlling the promotion of alcohol• Education and persuasion

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability to Alcohol-Related Harm

Muscle is replaced by body fat as people age. Alcohol is not drawn into body fat as well as it draws into muscle, therefore, blood alcohol concentration is higher in older people

Activity of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol is significantly reduced. There is decreased blood flow to the liver

Alcohol produces a more rapid depressant effect on brain and older people are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol on the brain

Older people are more susceptible to imbalance after acute alcohol ingestion making them susceptible to falls. More likely to be experience a fracture if they fall.

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.• Drink in different ways.• Have different risks and

protective factors.

Risk and Protective Factors

ReR IndividualRelationshipsWorkCommunity/EnvironmentSociety

• Personal attitudes• Knowledge• Coping skills/resilience• Chronic pain, insomnia• Time & opportunity to drink• Disability• Mental health• Cognitive impairment• Financial circumstances

• Bereavement• Loss of friends• Family conflict/relationship breakdown• Being carer• Family attitudes towards drinking• Elder abuse

• Retirement• Unemployment• Occupational socialisation• Drinking culture

• Activities for older people• Transport• Sense of safety• Community norms • Availability of alcohol• Health and social services• Alcohol services• Residential care• Deprivation

• Attitudes towards older people• Social capital• Societal attitudes towards alcohol

Wadd, 2014

Risk and Protective Factors

ReR IndividualRelationshipsWorkCommunity/EnvironmentSociety

• Personal attitudes• Knowledge• Coping skills/resilience• Chronic pain, insomnia• Time & opportunity to drink• Disability• Mental health• Cognitive impairment• Financial circumstances

• Bereavement• Loss of friends• Family conflict/relationship breakdown• Being carer• Family attitudes towards drinking• Elder abuse

• Retirement• Unemployment• Occupational socialisation• Drinking culture

• Activities for older people• Transport• Sense of safety• Community norms • Availability of alcohol• Health and social services• Alcohol services• Residential care • Deprivation

• Attitudes towards older people• Social capital• Societal attitudes towards alcohol

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.• Drink in different ways.• Have different risks and

protective factors.• Have different attitudes,

values and beliefs.

“I just like the one-to-one [therapy]. I am very afraid of going into a crowd [group therapy].…..I think because it

is a personal problem there is a terrible shame about it....I’m not

having to share the shame with lots of people. It is terrible, terrible

shame.”

(Wendy, 73, early-onset)

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.• Drink in different ways.• Have different risks and

protective factors.• Have different attitudes,

values and beliefs.• Have different levels of

knowledge

Percentage of Respondents who had heard of Alcohol Units

1997 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 20080

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

56

76

16-2425-4445-6465 and overPe

rcen

tage

s

Source: Omnibus Survey, 1997-2008

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.• Drink in different ways.• Have different risks and

protective factors.• Have different attitudes,

values and beliefs.• Have different levels of

knowledge• Face different barriers.

Professional Barriers• Lack of awareness that alcohol misuse is a potentially

important problem for older people.• Reluctance to ask embarrassing questions of older

people.• Attitude that older people are too old to change their

behaviour.• Belief that it is wrong to ‘deprive’ older people of their

‘last pleasure in life’.• Inability to identify signs and symptoms of alcohol

problems in older people.

Why do Older People Require Special Consideration?

• Have unique vulnerabilities.• Drink in different ways.• Have different risks and

protective factors.• Have different attitudes, values

and beliefs.• Have different levels of

knowledge• Face different barriers.• Have different motivatiors.

Motivators for Older People

• Staying healthy and independent.

• Sleeping better.• More energy to go out

and socialise.• Improved memory.• Save money.• Less likely to fall.

Preventing New Alcohol Problems

• Increasing understanding of alcohol units.

• Improving coping skills in carers.

• Providing bereavement counselling.

• Providing activities and opportunities to socialise.

Providing Age-Appropriate Interventions and Treatment

• Advice on alcohol and medication interactions.

• Brief interventions which focus on motivating factors for older people.

• Alcohol services which are culturally appropriate for older people.

• Alcohol treatment at home.

Harm Reduction• Address trip and fire

hazards.• Ensure they are eating

properly.• Assess risk of elder abuse.• Consider thiamine therapy

for heavy drinkers.

sarah.wadd@beds.ac.uk