Signs and Symptoms of Potential Alcohol Problems in Older Adults

Alcohol on the breath (or successive use of breath mints)
Anxiety
Angry denial of any problem in this regard
Blackouts
Cigarette burns on the couch and carpet
Dizziness
Depression
Disorientation
Excessive mood swings
Falls, bruises or burns with poor explanations
Family problems/ Rejection from family and friends (“They’re all rotten.”)
Financial problems
Headaches
Home is in terrible disarray; home is too perfect
Incontinence
Increased tolerance to alcohol
Legal Difficulties
Memory loss (whole days or weeks missing from memory)
Multiple health care providers (for the same issue)
New difficulties in decision-making
Not allowing in-home help despite obvious need
Not enough money for necessities, despite sufficient income.
Numerous empty bottles in the garbage
Only afternoon visiting allowed
Poor hygiene
Poor nutrition
Seizures
Sleep problems
Social isolation
Too-frequent requests for refills of controlled substances, with varied reasons
Unusual response to medications

Places where people hide their alcohol:

• in the toilet’s tank
• extra refrigerator in the basement
• under the bed
• inside balls of yarn
• boxes in the closet
• buried in the back yard

(Adapted from Fleming and Barry, 1991; Barry, Oslin, and Blow, 2001; and Wendy
Lustbade, MSW)