[Alcohol in care homes for the elderly]

The majority of those living in care homes for the elderly are very old, with multiple pathologies and taking multiple forms of medication. They are therefore more fragile and vulnerable in the face of alcohol, both with occasional consumption or with addictive behaviour. Far from anecdotal, these situations arise almost on a daily basis for the frontline caregivers. They are sometimes difficult to detect by other professionals who do not have such prolonged contact with the residents. Addressing the risk as well as the misuse of alcohol in a nursing home is a matter for the whole institute and must involve all the players, professionals, families and residents, in a cross-disciplinary and coherent approach. Addiction treatment, in the particular case of nursing home residents, as for the general population, considers all methods of consumption and actions, from prevention to the reduction of risks or harmful effects, to curative treatment, including alcohol withdrawal.