Looking for a big problem in old age

Looking for a big problem in old age: More and more people in the retirement age of alcohol and drugs dependent.

Due to the demographic change in our society, alcohol dependence in old age is becoming an ever-increasing problem. According to health experts, around 400,000 elderly people have a serious addiction problem with alcohol. Much larger are dimensions in drug dependence, estimated that up to two million older people in Germany are dependent.

Increase in addictions in old age
The addiction problem does not stop at the age. Around 400,000 people over the age of 65 are alcohol dependent. According to the German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS), around 1.7 to 2.8 million people over the age of 60 (8.0 -13.0 percent) also have problematic use of "psychoactive" medicines and painkillers. But many older people are not aware of it or simply do not care about it because they lack further perspectives.

Symposium on addiction in old age, due to a call for help from nursing homes
Reason enough to illuminate the topic by the experts. On this occasion, a symposium was held today at the Schweriner See Clinic in Lübstorf. Invited were three North German provincial agencies for addiction issues. The experts discussed how nurses and consultants can deal with the subject in the future. Because addictions are no longer a marginal issue in the care and care of seniors in nursing homes. „The topic has gradually become acute with demographic change“, said the manager of the state office for addiction issues in Schwerin, Claudia Diekneite. The addiction counselors from the federal states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein met with around 50 employees from old people's homes and counseling centers. According Diekneite had asked in advance for help for the elderly and counseling centers with a call for help.

Seeks in nursing homes and clinics
The problem has long since been observed not only in retirement homes. Increasingly, the problem also develops in the hospitals and clinics. For more and more patients are increasingly people in their old age, so Diekneite on the sidelines of the conference. Many diseases in old age are now alcoholic. So far one was still assumed, „it was not that bad“, if sufferers drink a schnapps. After all, geriatric nurses could not ban the residents "the beer in the evening". Most older people would, according to the counselor „moderate“ drink. However, many older people do not tolerate alcohol through the interaction with prescribed medicines. If the consumption is too high, the caregivers would have to intervene to contain health hazards. "But how? There is a great helplessness below the skilled workers," said Diekneite. The caregivers must address and motivate the elderly differently in the last third of their lives than younger ones. Younger people, for example, could use vocational training and goals as motivation. Many older people say they do not want it any different, they would be fine. „But if older people are motivated, the success rate is still very high“, so the expert. Because then they would realize that again are more efficient than before.

More and more seniors are dependent on medication
A very common but less obvious problem, according to the addiction expert, is drug dependency. Often drugs for pain or sleep disorders with the administration of opiates to addiction. This addiction affects the health and quality of life of those affected and increases the cost of medicines in the healthcare system. For example, a drug dependency among seniors often leads to falls, which in some cases lead to long-term care dependency, according to the DHS. (sb, 28.09.2010)

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