ABSTRACT
Whether obtained from a loving son as a special gift for his father’s birthday in a nursing home, enjoyed at a granddaughter’s wedding, or used to celebrate a holiday with family and friends, alcohol is used on various occasions and in different circumstances by most older adults in the U.S. Unfortunately, when compared to all of the other abusable psychotropics that are used by older adults, alcohol is both the most commonly used and, for this age group, is associated with more harm than all of the other abusable psychotropics combined. This chapter, which has been prepared for health and social care professionals, presents and discusses the chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of alcohol with attention to its patterns of use by older adults in the U.S. during the new millennium. It concludes with a thorough and comprehensive discussion of demonstrated effective approaches, including pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic (counseling) approaches, for assessing, diagnosing, and treating alcohol dependence or use disorder among older adults.
