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SENIORS
HEALTH STUDY
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HALS or the National Population Health Survey |
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National Population Health Survey, for people aged 75+ |
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SWAP clients (age 55+) |
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Visual Impairments |
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5.9% |
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12.3% |
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10% |
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Mobility Impairments |
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8.1% |
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19.9% |
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33% |
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Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema |
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5.7% |
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12% |
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Stomach, Intestinal Ulcers |
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5.1% |
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4.4% |
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14% |
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Heart Disease |
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12.4% |
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21.8% |
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Cognitive Impairments |
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28% |
OLDER WOMEN AND ALCOHOL
Think it's tough being a senior with an alcohol
problem? It's even tougher if you are an older woman. In the study,
33% of the seniors had mobility impairments, making it far harder
for them to get around. Among older women, this rate soared to 59%.
As well:
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31%
of older women were experiencing chronic pain, often from arthritis
or osteoporosis, compared to 12% for the clients generally.
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22%
of the women experienced numerous falls, compared to 15% generally
among the clients.
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Why do some older women drink? Often, it is a brief
escape from pain. Chronic physical pain is very common among older
women.
But there can be emotional pain as well. A significant
number of the women in this study were currently experiencing abuse.
Or, they had suffered abuse in the past, and were still dealing
with the emotional consequences of that earlier abuse.
SUCCESS
STORIES
Many people
become disheartened when they see a senior who has an alcohol problem.
You see the person come into the hospital (or in
crisis), time and time again. Or, you see an endless line of people
with alcohol problems, who after a while begin to all look the same.
It is easy to simply see an old person. You usually
don't get to know the whole person who has a full life behind them.
And you usually don't get to see the person when
he or she is doing better - in other words, the improvements and
successes.
Coming up, seniors talk a bit about what has changed
in their lives since receiving help; what their goals have been;
how they view success; and what helped them get to where they are.
SOME
PERSONAL SUCCESS STORIES
First, Putting Things in Context: Most of us do not recognize
what having a alcohol or other substance abuse problem feels like
for a senior, and the consequences it has in the person's life.
Below, seniors talk about what their lives were
like before receiving help from someone.
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"Where
was I, a year ago? Last year at this time, I was drinking a
dozen beer a day. Things got worse when I fell and broke my
ankle..."(woman in her mid 70s)
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"For
me, my health was the issue. I have a heart problem and emotional
problems, and alcohol doesn't make either one any better." (man
in his early 70s)
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"I
was drinking 2 bottles and now I'm down to one half bottle...I
was having trouble with my eyesight and was worried that I might
have macular degeneration. I was afraid to see the opthalmologist...I
would drink alone in the apartment even more, because I was
afraid." (woman in her late 60s)
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Candid comments like these help dispel the idea
of drinking as a "last pleasure" for seniors. For many, it is more
likely to be a response to fear, pain, loneliness and boredom. But
the question is how to help seniors change what can be a desperate
situation for them.
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