During the festive season, and also during times of celebration, there is often alcoholic beverages on offer to party-goers and guests. These drinks can be quite detrimental to the health of your elderly loved one.
Alcohol is bad for the elderly for many reasons.
Mobility and balance – most seniors suffer from some sort of mobility issue, be it a physical injury they have sustained at some point, it could be the side effects of some medication or it could be an actual part of growing older. As we all know, one of the first ways we can see if someone is drunk, or has had a drink or two, is by their loss of balance and co-ordination. For an elderly citizen to have that loss of balance is extremely dangerous. The main reason is the ‘fall factor’, it is similar to walking on ice! Many many obvious problems could arise if an elder fell, be it inside or outside the house.
Medication and side effects – virtually all senior citizens are on some form of medication. It could be for health and fitness, such as daily vitamin supplements, or it could be for more serious reasons, medication for on going illnesses or ailments. Alcohol can affect how medication is absorbed into the body. By having a drink you could be altering the doseage of your medication. Not to mention that the mixture of alcohol and your prescribed medication could profoundly alter the effect it could be having on your body. Some medication and alcohol can cause unconsciousness, memory loss and it is possible you will have symptoms (not a hangover) of alcohol poisoning for many days after.
If there is a festivity coming up and there will be the presence of alcoholic beverages then to be safe make sure you ask a medical professional regarding the mixture of your medication and the drink of your choice.