Get Connected: Linking Older Adults With Medication, Alcohol, and Mental Health Resources (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781502866356)

Alcohol and medication misuse and mental health problems are significant issues for older adults. In fact, substance misuse among older adults is one of the fastest growing health problems in America. Most people over 65 do not use illegal drugs, but almost 20 percent of older adults misuse alcohol, over-the-counter medicines, and prescription drugs, most often unintentionally.Physiological changes in older adults can render alcohol and medications harmful at doses lower than those used by younger people. Many older adults are unaware of this fact. Few are aware, for example, that the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends no more than one alcoholic beverage a day for men over 65 and somewhat less than that for older women.With longer life expectancies, more older adults develop chronic diseases, and therefore more depend on prescription medicines. Although people over 65 account for 13 percent of the U.S. population, they receive 25 to 30 percent of prescriptions. Many of these prescriptions are for depression and anxiety, and an estimated one in four older adults has symptoms of mental disorders at some point. Perhaps not surprisingly, more than half of hospitalizations of older adults result from adverse drug reactions.

Author: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and D
ISBN-10: 1502866358
ISBN-13: 9781502866356
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 10/20/2014
Pages: 116
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.50w x 0.24d