AZ: 1 in 5 seniors turning to alcohol to cope with coronavirus quarantine
By Taylor Kinnerup
April 20, 2020
PHOENIX — If you haven’t called your grandparents recently, you might want to call to see how they’re handling coronavirus quarantine.
With seniors among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, they’ve likely been physical distancing or completely quarantined longer and most severely than most, and they may not be coping with it in the healthiest way.
“Approximately 1 out of 5 seniors is exhibiting signs of alcohol misuse,” Dr. Barry Freeman, Senior Medical Director for OptumCare Network of Arizona, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
“In Arizona, with our shelter in place policy, a lot of our seniors our are struggling with emotions like fear, loneliness, stress, anxiety and just boredom from staying at home, and many may be turning to alcohol as a way to cope.”
Freeman says that U.S. alcohol sales went up by more than 50% last month.
He says that with a lack of face-to-face contact with our elderly friends and family nowadays, it’s important to check in more frequently.
“Some of the signs we should be looking for right now are maybe more confusion than usual or more memory problems,” Freeman explained.
“There could be some mood problems including agitation, think about fatigue or weakness that’s unexplained and then any complaints of dizziness.”
Freeman noted that in the short-term, overconsumption in older adults can lead to falls, which can turn into much greater problems for people of advanced age.
However, in the long-term, it can lead to addiction, which can impact long-term health and make it more difficult to control existing conditions like diabetes or heart failure.
“If you recognize that someone is having an issue with alcohol misuse or abuse it’s appropriate to bring it to their attention and encourage them to seek help,” Freeman said.