Alcohol is the most common drug used by seniors. Between 138,000 and 220,000 seniors across Canada currently experience alcohol problems.

Only a small percentage receive help.

In October 2000, the Seniors Well Aware Program received a three year grant from the National Population Health Fund to help communities across Canada find ways to better help seniors who are experiencing alcohol problems.

The national project, called "Seeking Solutions", involved partners in every region of Canada including the majority of programs that currently offer services specifically to seniors.

With this project, we were able to bring together the knowledge and insights of seniors, health care and other service providers, specialists in aging and addictions from across Canada.

Our focus was on networking, sharing information, strategies and best practices on how to reach seniors and address this health problem effectively from a community development perspective.

Seeking Solutions  produced several resources including "Best Practice" information sheets. These covered many diverse topics related to seniors and alcohol, such as:

• Barriers seniors face
• The role of the home support workers and building caretakers
• Ways in which seniors can help
• Education strategies that work
• How to reduce stigmatization of the issue
• Helping when the client has memory problems or cognitive impairment
• Elder abuse and alcohol
• Alcohol and seniors health
• Alcohol issues in care facilities

These information sheets will give people practical ideas, high quality information and a better understanding of the issues affecting seniors. This will help people to effectively reach and assist seniors when alcohol has become or is becoming a problem in their lives.

Some of these are available in both English and French. The first focuses on introducing the Best Practices sheets, Guiding Principals, Harm Reduction and Identifying Alcohol Problems in Seniors.

The project has established a free email internet discussion list serve called OPAAL (Older Persons and Alcohol List) as one way for people across Canada to share information about alcohol issues affecting seniors.

There is also a website specifically geared to seniors and alcohol issues:

Click here for www.agingincanada.ca

For further information on the project, joining OPAAL etc., please contact:
Charmaine Spencer
Tel: 604.291.5047
Fax: 604.291.5066

Email: cspencer@shaw.ca