Help Available For Senior Alcohol Abuse

Pat Sweeting Reporting
 
Do you have concerns about an older parent or grandparent's drinking habits? Help is available in the form of a pocket-sized screening questionnaire from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The questionnaire is designed to help in determining if a problem exists.

Using the Alcohol Screening Test - Geriatric Version  -- a mental health professional, doctor or volunteer could ask questions like:

• Do you ever underestimate how much you drink when describing your drinking habits to others?
• Does drinking quiet tremors or shakiness?
• Does the person ever forget portions of the day or night after drinking?
• Is alcohol consumption used as a way to forget the stressors of the day?

If yes was the response to two or more of these questions, it's recommended that a referral be made for a complete assessment. Through the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's hotline, information on treatment providers is available 24 hours-a-day. 

Hotline number: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Web address: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov
 

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