Background
Evidence suggests that a significant and growing number of older people are at risk of alcohol-related harm:
• 20% of men and 10% of women aged 65 and over exceed recommended drinking guidelines and 3% of men and 0.6% of women aged 65-74 are alcohol dependent
• There has been a steady increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by older age groups in recent years.
• Consumption patterns suggest that the ‘baby-boomer’ cohort is likely to have higher levels of alcohol consumption in old age than previous cohorts of older people.
Increased alcohol consumption coupled with the projected increase in the population of older people will place increasing pressure on substance misuse and health and social care services. 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.
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