This online course, presented on the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's (CSAP) Prevention Pathways Web site, addresses the issues of alcohol and medication misuse in older adults. The course is intended for family members, friends, and caregivers of older adults.

This course includes the following modules:

• Overview
  • The problem
  • The reason the problem is missed
  • Interactive quiz
• Alcohol
  • Sensible drinking
  • Benefits and risks of alcohol use
  • Specific concerns for older adults
  • Life changes can contribute to alcohol use by older adults
  • Who should never drink alcohol
  • What you can do
• Prescription and over-the-counter medications
  • Factors contributing to misuse
  • Alcohol-drug interactions
  • Internet pharmacies
  • Herbal remedies
• Barriers to recognizing problems
  • Case study
  • Barriers
• Signs and symptoms of misuse
  • Physical, mental, and lifestyle signs and symptoms
  • Warning signs of a prescription drug problem
• Talking about sensitive issues
  • Guidelines and general communication tips
  • Starting the conversation
  • Possible reactions and how to respond
  • Discussing other sensitive subjects (sex, incontinence, depression, memory problems, family problems)
• Assessing a problem
  • Screening tools (includes interactive versions of the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, or Short MAST-G); the Health Screening Survey (HSS), Revised; and the Geriatric Depressive Scale (GDS) Short Form
• Preventing misuse
  • General prevention tips
  • Talk to the doctor and pharmacist (includes printable questions)
  • Medication management tools (includes printable copies of the Medication Passport and a chart for managing multiple medications)
  • Medication dos and don'ts
• Intervention and treatment
  • Brief and pretreatment interventions
  • Treatment approaches and settings

The course also lists books, consumer literature, nonprint media, and Web links that provide additional information.


Free registration is required to access this tool.