Preventing Harm From Alcohol Use in Older Adults

Approximately 50% of persons aged 65 years and older drink alcohol. Older persons are particularly susceptible to adverse consequences of drinking such as falls, depression, sleep disorders, stomach upset, hypertension, and alcohol/drug interactions. This is because of age-related changes in the body that affect how older persons react to alcohol and also because of the age-associated increases in illness and medication use.

In the current project we aim to see if screening and brief advice given to older risky drinkers in a physician's office followed by up to 3 health education phone calls may reduce their risks associated with alcohol use. We plan to use a newly developed and tested measure, the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Evaluation Tool (CARET), to screen for older persons (aged 55 and older) whose use of alcohol alone or in combination with their illnesses, symptoms, and medication use may be causing them harm, or increasing their risk for harm. Persons whose responses on the CARET indicate they might be risky drinkers will be randomized to receive either a brief intervention to reduce their risks or usual care.

The intervention will have the following components:

A) At the time of the recruitment visit, all intervention group patients will receive:

1. A personalized risk report;
2. An educational booklet titled "Healthy Drinking as You Age";
3. A drinking diary;
4. Brief advice to reduce their drinking by their physicians;