Older people are the forgotten minority when it comes to problem drinking reveals a new report
Older people drink more and have entrenched attitudes to alcoholism, a major new report has found.
Research by the charity Addaction found that the five most frequently reported reasons for older people drinking more were all age-related including retirement, bereavement, loss of sense of purpose, fewer opportunities to socialise and finances.
The research, part of a £25 million UK-wide campaign, Drink Wise Age Well, to inform policy and practice in preventing alcohol misuse amongst people aged 50 and over, also revealed high levels of stigma among the over 50 age group.
It found stigma and shame were associated with drinking in older adults across the UK with 55% of adults aged over 65 who gave an opinion believing that people with an alcohol problem have themselves to blame.
“Adults in general are drinking more often at home, and this increases with age. Therefore, it is difficult to measure amounts consumed,” the report states.
“These factors all indicate that this issue lies below the radar, and possibly is an even larger problem than anticipated.”
Of those respondents who drank in Scotland, 67% had a binge in the last 12 months and 35% of those who drank consume more than five units on a typical drinking day.
However, Scots were three times less likely to have driven within an hour of drinking alcohol in the last 12 months than the rest of the UK areas, the research found, possibly reflecting the impact of new drink driving legislation.
One in four Scots adults over 50 would not tell someone if they did have a problem.
One in three higher risk drinkers cite being down or depressed
Julie Breslin, Drink Wise, age well programme lead, said: “One positive from the Drink Wise, Age Well study is that 80% of those surveyed who drink, are drinking at lower risk levels.
“However, of those who are drinking at more risky levels the majority have never had anyone, including health professionals, talk to them about their alcohol use. Also a quarter of people would not know where to go for help nor would they ask if they needed it.”
David McCullough, Royal Voluntary Service chief executive, said it was concerning that older drinkers lived alone, and had a longstanding illness or disability.
He added: “One in three higher risk drinkers cite being down or depressed as a reason for drinking and 41% say they drink because they are lonely or bored.
"Tackling social isolation among older people is a key commitment of Royal Voluntary service and this report highlights that we need to be much more vigilant and aware of the potential for high risk drinking in a population that are more isolated.”
