Alcohol and the elderly

Bellanonna

When my father was recovering on a surgical ward many years ago he was given Guinness with his dinner. Good old days of the NHS.

After I graduated from university, I had a job in the local health board. Part of my remit was to pay the invoices for Guinness, Sweetheart Stout and spirits. It came out of the pharmacy budget.
There was a national contract for buying alcohol at special rates!

My husband donated his bone marrow to a stranger in another country some years ago. It was done in The London Clinic. He was given a dinner menu each evening to choose his food and drink. The menu included wine and other alcohol drinks.

What a brilliant thing for your dh to do, Kate1949 👏.

Isn't it Witzend? Our nephew died of leukemia and DH joined the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register. He was the nearest match they could find for a lady in France. She had young children and unfortunately didn't make it.

ixion

How are you defining elderly, Pat37?
Just curious.

Over 90

If I ever reach 90 I think I will eat and drink what I like, when I like. I have no wish to live forever even if I could.

Maybe it's not her ambition to be the most sober corpse in the mortuary?
Whenever someone in a care home reaches 100 they either ascribe their milestone as being due to "a tot of brandy every day" or "total abstinence" or "a full fry-up for breakfast every day" or "veganism" or " 100 cigarettes a day" and so on.
You got to go sometime. Just be kind, if you can, and make the most of it.

There was a time when we were told it was beneficial to drink a glass of red wine in the evening wasn't there?

Personally, I don't see a problem for the lady choosing to drink wine and a liquer of an evening. As long as she not anticipating going for a drive, what's the harm?

Over 90? Well, good luck to her, and I’m delighted that she still enjoys a tipple - it probably keeps her going.

Pat37 - thanks for popping back.

Do you know if her drugs are incompatible with alcohol or are you just being cautious?

I'd definitely want to know if it was safe to drink whilst on these meds - especially if there has been a change of medication.

Alternatively has there been an increase in quantity?
Some modern wine glasses are ginormous!

Oh Marydoll, could you please backdate an order of Sweetheart Stout for me?
Thankyou ever so much!

Let her enjoy her wine 🍷.
I'm going to enjoy mine !

No judgement from me!
I drink only very rarely and in very small quantities. I don’t really feel comfortable around alcohol and come from a family of non drinkers. However I can see no harm in having wine or whatever if someone wants it. It may help in all sorts of ways.

I can see where it could be problematic, if the person is a bit tiddly and has to then negotiate stairs, put the cat out, plump up the cushions, or whatever their night routine is.
Perhaps they could go to bed and have their last drink there?

A glass of if wine with her evening meal - why not ?

Shelflife

A glass of if wine with her evening meal - why not ?

We're very elderly. Usually a Stella at lunch and a wine at dinner - I can't begin to imagine that causing any concern.

Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die! When you get to a certain age you stop caring about what other people think. It is about enjoying what time you have left and doing what pleases you. To hell with everyone else let them be miserable they certainly wont die happy.

MissAdventure

I can see where it could be problematic, if the person is a bit tiddly and has to then negotiate stairs, put the cat out, plump up the cushions, or whatever their night routine is.
Perhaps they could go to bed and have their last drink there?

Do you think she could fall off the stair lift? 😲

Do those things have a seatbelt?

and what I call a liquer

That made me laugh, it reminded me of Miranda's Mum
"It's what I call a ........"

Liqueur? Liquor?
Spirit?

Such fun!

The old comment that not drinking, not eating fat cheeses, chocolate or chips doesn’t make you live longer, it just feels like it, springs to mind

petra

I would definitely phone social services or talk to her Dr ( if you know him/her) which I’m sure you do.
The woman is obviously on the slippery slope of becoming a lush.

I think that is a bit extreme Petra.

Bobbysgirl19

petra

I would definitely phone social services or talk to her Dr ( if you know him/her) which I’m sure you do.
The woman is obviously on the slippery slope of becoming a lush.

I think that is a bit extreme Petra.

I read if as tongue-in-cheek.

This cannot be serious ......

I think at 90 she's already on a slippery slope.

I’m sure it was tongue in cheek.

Well, my bottle of Christmas Baileys lives in the kitchen, where I can see it.
When the need arises, I have a glug. Cook's Perks!

DH doesn't like it.
Since I take a Chemo tablet every day for 3 weeks out of 4,
I was wary, but it seems to do me no harm, physically. Mentally, "I am Worth It" . So there. 😘