MAPP reaches out to older Vermonters for Alcohol Awareness Month

WINDSOR, Vt. — April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and this year Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership (MAPP) is focusing attention on older Vermonters who drink alcohol as part of its efforts to provide education and prevention resources to the southeastern Vermont communities it serves.

Reports show that alcohol sales have risen nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic as people have been more socially isolated, especially older people who are at higher risk of serious illness from the coronavirus. In light of this, Melanie Sheehan, MCHES, regional prevention program manager of Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership, asks older Vermonters, their families, and caregivers to be especially mindful of their alcohol consumption.

“Unhealthy alcohol use among older Vermonters goes largely unaddressed because it isn’t well recognized or understood,” Sheehan said. “Normal aging makes an older person more sensitive to alcohol’s effects. As we age, our livers and kidneys diminish in their ability to process alcohol. Meanwhile, aging increases the chances of conditions like diabetes or heart disease, which require medications that may negatively interact with alcohol. All of this means that older people may be drinking at a risk level without realizing it, without having changed their drinking habits from their younger years.”

Sheehan says that in Vermont, 25% of older adults drink at a risk level, defined as three or more standard sized drinks in one day.

“To be clear,” Sheehan said, “only 2.5% of older Vermonters would be diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder, for which effective treatment is available. However, drinking at risk level for those who don’t require addiction treatment still carries health risks.”

For instance, certain medications can make alcohol more intoxicating, while other medications may be made less effective by drinking. Diseases like diabetes and heart disease can be worsened by alcohol.

For the majority of older Vermonters who use alcohol, education is all that is needed, says Sheehan. But for the 2.5% with a more serious problem, help is available.

“MAPP recently launched weareworthwhile.org with a number of community partners,” she said, “providing understanding and resources for those who would benefit from recovery.”

Meanwhile, MAPP asks local caregivers to redouble their efforts to identify drinking problems among their older patients. According to MAPP, older Vermonters are currently underserved both in being identified with a disorder and in being treated. Vermont Department of Health data from the Vermont Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System shows that 83% of Vermonters age 18 to 64 are being asked about their drinking in routine doctor visits while only 66% of Vermonters age 65 or older are being asked about their drinking. Further, of those asked about their drinking in routine medical exams, 32% of those age 18 to 64 are being offered advice about their drinking, but only 18% of those age 65 and older are given such advice. Sheehan attributes the differences to often unconscious attitudes that result in avoiding the issue, or perhaps a belief that older people are unlikely to change their habits.

“People of every age deserve accurate information and an opportunity to gain access to resources that can help them change,” she said. “Clinicians have an important role to play in helping older Vermonters avoid the risks of alcohol overconsumption.”

For those seeking more information, the Vermont Department of Health and the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living offers two informative educational brochures on this subject, available at the Vermont Alcohol and Drug Information Clearinghouse (vadic.org): “Aging and Alcohol: What you should know,” and “Aging and Medication: What you should know.” In addition to weareworthwhile.org, people may also find information and referrals to local resources at the HelpLink, online at vthelplink.org and at (802) 565-5465.