According to a recent study, the elderly are hospitalized more often due to alcohol-related problems than for heart attacks (Doup). Another study found some 70% of elderly adults' hospitalizations are related to alcohol, medication, or a mixture of both (Doup).
Many seniors live alone either due to divorce or the death of a spouse, and many more still are retired and have children out of state, and so do not drive as much or as far as before (Doup). This isolation leads many seniors to develop alcohol and drug problems late in life, at a time when they are most vulnerable to medical conditions (Doup). The elderly make up some 11% of the U.S. population, yet they take more than 35% of the drugs prescribed, such as blood pressure medication, sleep medication, and tranquilizers, all of which created a toxic cocktail when mixed with alcohol, causing everything from dizziness to death (Doup). One of the most significant physiologic consequences of alcohol use in seniors is the effect on the cardiovascular system, because anginal pain may be deadened and/or ignored, leading to myocardial infarction (Bosworth).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, pet ownership decreases the sense of isolation and loneliness for elderly adults (Elderly). Seniors who owned pets were more physically active than non-pet owners, and pet ownership was found to have a "statistically significant effect on the physical health" (Elderly). For those living in facilities, music and activities creates a culture of rituals that may include snacks before or after an event, an opportunity to dress for the occasion and interact with musicians or artists (Mazer). Social services may provide isolated seniors with meals on wheels programs, a shopping bus, transportation to faith-based multi-service centers, fitness and health centers, as well...
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