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Taking a stand against family violence People from all over Mid Canterbury took to the streets yesterday in a show of solidarity against family violence. www.guardianonline.co.nz
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Elderly and alcohol a growing problem BY CAITLIN PORTER
CAITLIN.P@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
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The number of elderly people in the Ashburton District with alcohol problems is higher than in many parts of New Zealand, an alcohol and drug dependence expert says. New Zealand Society of Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NSAD) executive director Mike Bird said that while elderly alcohol abuse was a growing, national problem in areas with higher concentrations of retiring people, such as Ashburton, the problem was more significant. While people may not increase their consumption of alcohol, their body did not process it the same way. The addition of medications was an another contributor, he said. While many medications had warnings about use with alcohol, many people ignored them. The combination, however, had a more significant impact on older people, Mr Bird said. “Then you end up
with manageability issues, people in resthomes can be quite unmanageable for staff,” he said. “Suddenly they turn into this whole other person and it’s out of character.” Restricting access to alcohol created problems of its own and the key lay in education, he said. Odyssey House in Christchurch has a community-based treatment service dedicated to harmful drinking in the elderly called Sixty Five Alive. Clinical nurse specialist Chris Sinclair works with clients all over Canterbury, and in Ashburton. She said clients were referred to the service because they suffered from alcohol related injuries, such as falls, or when their drinking was causing issues in their resthome. Often drinking can fly under the radar because the right questions are not asked or because people minimise the impact of their drinking, she said. “There’s a lot of
shame, embarrassment and guilt in that age group.” Myths and misconceptions around drinking also cause problems. Often people think the elderly are too old to change their drinking habits or families should not interfere, but that is not the case, she said. Terrace View Retirement Village facilities manager Christine Dean said it was important support was provided for people who had issues with alcohol. The village provides both residential and independent apartment and villa living. Mrs Dean said she has had residents come to her with a known alcohol problem and they require additional support. This requires planning around managing happy hours and social occasions, or providing additional support. She believes there is good support available from health professionals. “There is support if you need it, you just need to know how to access it.”
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