New Zealanders aged 50+ consume alcohol more frequently and in higher quantity than older adults in many other parts of the world. Many of these adults have coexisting medical conditions, and are prescribed alcohol-interacting medications which place them at increased risk of harm.
Very few at-risk drinkers are screened for alcohol use even though they are likely to attend primary health care services because of their poor health. Routinely used alcohol screening tools such as AUDIT or AUDIT-C are not sensitive to these co-existing medical problems and may underestimate alcohol risk for older adults.
In this webinar, Dr John McMenamin looks at how the recent research on longitudinal patterns of alcohol use in older New Zealanders helps us understand alcohol risk in older patients.
Topics include:
- how alcohol impacts on some common conditions and medications
- opportunities to relate alcohol to health for patients
- how to have conversations that encourage change in alcohol risk.
Resources
- Substance use disorders in later life N Engl J Med (2018)
- Assessment and management of alcohol misuse by primary care bpacnz (2018)
- AUDIT-C tool
Presenter
Dr John McMenamin
John McMenamin is a GP in Whanganui and a Clinical Director of Whanganui Regional Health Network.
A graduate of Auckland School of Medicine with Distinguished Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, John also holds a postgraduate Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Auckland.
John works as a Primary Care adviser on alcohol to the Health Promotion Agency and is currently engaged with the Centre for Addiction Research at University of Auckland and the Health & Ageing Research Team at Massey University on the introduction of enhanced screening for older adults. This project includes development of a training package for primary care conversations around alcohol.
