- High risk drinking is declining in the UK except among over 50s
- ONS figures reveal 45% rise in alcohol-specific deaths in over 50s since 2001
- Three out of four residential rehab services in England exclude older people
A new report being launched in the House of Lords tomorrow (21st November) has found that ageism and age discrimination in alcohol policy, practice and research is denying older people the treatment they need to recover from harmful drinking.
The report for Drink Wise, Age Well [1] asserts that some policies and practices are actually in breach of Equality and Human Rights legislation and calls on UK governments to develop alcohol strategies that recognise that older adults’ needs may be different to those of younger people.
Higher risk drinking [2] is declining in the UK except among people who are age 50 and over and with an ageing population the trend is of major concern, not least to the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has set a target of at least 10% relative reduction in harmful use of alcohol by 2025.
Recent ONS figures further underline the urgency of the situation. ONS Alcohol-specific deaths [3] in the UK: registered in 2016 show a 45% increase in alcohol-specific deaths in the over 50s in the past 15 years (since 2001).
The new report, however, states that “Ageist policies can be identified easily and abolished in a relatively short period… with very little impact on resources”.
‘Calling Time – Addressing ageism and age discrimination in alcohol policy, practice and research was compiled by the Substance Misuse and Ageing Research Team at the University of Bedfordshire, Addaction and the International Longevity Centre-UK based on extensive review of UK strategies, policies and legislation, published literature and data on clinical trials, as well as a polling of professional opinion and focus groups with problematic drinkers.
Its main findings include:
- Practitioners discriminating against older adults including managing issues relating to alcohol use (e.g. vitamin injections) rather than referring them for alcohol treatment and young adults being prioritised over older people
- Some of the reasons given are perceptions that older people are too old to change and that it’s not worth intervening because of life expectancy. There is also a sense that the care needs of older people are too complex for treatment
- A study [3] for Alcohol Research UK featured in the report found that “three out of four residential alcohol rehab services in England exclude older people based on arbitrary age limit”
- The Equality Act 2010 states that “services must provide equal services regardless of age or disability”. It is therefore unlawful for services “to provide inferior services, or refuse to provide services because of a person’s age, unless there is a good or sufficient reason”
- Age is no predictor of care needs. It is quite possible that the needs of a 40 year-old will be higher than those of a 65 year-old
- Adults over the age of 65 are excluded from 46% of clinical trials for alcohol treatment/interventions.
Writing in the report Foreword Baroness Dianne Hayter said, “Contrary to popular belief, harmful drinking is not the preserve of the young. In fact, many young people have followed advice and favour the gym or sports field over the pub and have been brought up never to drink and drive. Indeed, the only age group in the UK where drinking has increased is the 65-74 year-old. So our consideration – and prevention – of problem drinking has to turn to the retired, or those who’ll approach it over the coming years.
“Drink Wise Age Well has drawn up guidance and recommendations for a swathe of organisations and professions, providing a vital tool in promoting health, happiness and a productive retirement for a growing generation.”
Key recommendations include:
- Remove arbitrary age limits for alcohol services
- Governments should develop alcohol strategies which incorporate age as a cross-cutting theme and explicitly recognise that older adults’ needs may be different from those of younger adults
- Following the example of the Welsh Government, convene an advisory panel to develop substance misuse guidance focused specifically on older adults
- Inform alcohol services of their legal obligation to provide equitable care and take action if services are consistently discriminating against older adults
- Ensure decisions on whether or not to refer someone to rehab is made on ability to benefit. Age alone should not be a barrier to referral
- Ensure that older adults are included in clinical trials and research studies unless there is good justification for not doing so.
Julie Breslin, Head of Drink Wise, Age Well said:
“Changing lifestyles and the older demographic means for the first time in recent history older people in the UK drink more and are more likely to exceed recommended guidelines than other age groups, but help and support has not yet caught up. Older people are being written off – sometimes unlawfully – and we believe this report has the potential to change that.”