The mental health admissions in older people brought about by alcohol is concerning

16 Mar 2013
Older people have been warned about the dangers of excessive drinking after figures showed the number suffering alcohol-related mental-health problems has rocketed by 150 per cent in a decade.

The latest research on the over-60s, published today, raises concerns that the baby-boomer generation is failing to acknowledge the damaging effects of long-term drinking.

A new study found alcohol is causing a rise in the numbers diagnosed with dementia. Experts say the figures confirm an epidemic of late-onset drinking during retirement and following bereavement.

Diane Abbott MP said:

'This is deeply concerning. These are older middle-class people discreetly drinking themselves to death at home, behind their respectable front doors. Because they don't cause social disorder, their needs are being ignored. Yet, after two years, government policies on alcohol abuse are in chaos. And they have just performed an embarrassing u turn on minimum pricing.

'The government's lack of action on this issue is a tragedy for society , but it's also really difficult for our NHS to cope with these complex cases - it's costing the NHS more than £825 million per year.

'Older adults need to be given more attention as they are currently invisible in terms of service provision, clinical guidelines, research, healthcare policy and the training of health professionals. GPs should screen all people over 65 for substance misuse as part of a routine health check. Training health professionals about the impact of substance misuse in older people is not an optional extra.'

--ENDS--

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