Risk factors for excessive alcohol consuption among the elderly

Alkohol je v Sloveniji precej velik javnozdravstveni problem, ki ne prizadene le posameznika, ampak tudi ljudi okrog njega. Tudi posamezniki v tretjem življenjskem obdobju pijejo alkohol pogosto ter – kar je skrb vzbujajoče – tudi tvegano in škodljivo. Namen diplomskega dela je bil opozoriti na problematiko prekomernega uživanja alkohola pri starostnikih, izpostaviti dejavnike tveganja za prekomerno pitje alkohola in načine za njihovo preprečevanje. Za izdelavo diplomskega dela smo uporabili deskriptivno oz. opisno metodo dela s študijem slovenske in tuje strokovne literature. Pridobljene podatke smo sistematično pregledali, jih preučili, analizirali in jih smiselno vključili v diplomsko delo. Za pisanje smo uporabili program Microsoft Word. Ugotovitve iz raziskav kažejo, da starejši alkohol uživajo zaradi sprememb ali problemov, ki se v starosti pojavljajo, in sicer so to: upokojitev, osamljenost, izguba bližnje oz. ljubljene osebe. Kot posledice pa se pojavljajo problemi z ravnotežjem, katerim sledijo padci in poškodbe v obliki zlomov, spominske motnje in različna bolezenska stanja – od rakavih, srčno-žilnih in duševnih bolezni. Vloga medicinske sestre pri preprečevanju alkoholizma je predvsem v ozaveščanju in izobraževanju starejših glede tveganega in prekomernega uživanja alkohola. Tudi pri odvajanju oz. zdravljenju pacienta od alkohola ima s svojo prisotnostjo v timu in pri obravnavi vsakega posameznika nadvse pomembno vlogo. Medicinska sestra je prva v obravnavi, ki posameznika sprejme in ga spremlja skozi celotno obravnavo vse do odpusta. Uživanje alkohola med starejšimi je še vedno sorazmerno slabo raziskano. Dostopni podatki in izkušnje o tem kažejo, da je to velik dejavnik tveganja za vse vidike zdravja v starosti, zato je preprečevanje dejavnikov tveganja izjemno pomembno.Alcohol is quite a big health problem in Slovenia, affecting not only individuals but the people around them, as well. Moreover, individuals often drink alcohol frequently during the third life cycle, which is a rather hazardous and harmful issue. The purpose of this diploma thesis is to draw attention to the problem of excessive alcohol consumption in elderly people, to highlight the harmful factors of excessive alcohol consumption and the necessary means for its prevention. For the preparation of the thesis we used a descriptive method of work using expert Slovenian and foreign literature. We systematically reviewed, studied and analysed the data obtained and applied it to the thesis. We used the Microsoft Word program for documenting. The research findings prove that older people consume alcohol due to changes or problems arising in later life, namely retirement, loneliness, or loss of a close friend or loved one. As a consequence, problems arise with balance, followed by falls and injuries in the form of fractures, memory disorders and various health issues including cancer, cardiovascular and mental illness. The role of a medical nurse in the prevention of alcoholism is primarily to raise awareness and giving instruction to the elderly regarding the risks of excessive alcohol and, within the team, plays an important role in the treatment of each patient. A medical nurse is the first to address the patient, accepting and monitoring him or her throughout their entire treatment, all the way through to discharge. The consumption of alcohol among the elderly is still relatively inadequately studied. The data available and experience shows that there is a major risk factor for all aspects of health in old agetherefore, the prevention of these risk factors is extremely important