Elderly Well-Being and Alcohol: A Tricky Cocktail

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study is concerned with the well-being of older adults and how this relates to alcohol. Older adults’ use of alcohol in nursing homes is a rising challenge in Western societies, expected to increase in the coming 10–15 years. Alcohol use has consequences that go beyond mere health concerns and stretch into social, personal, and institutionalized life. The present study aims to develop procedures and guidelines for handling alcohol in elderly care, assist in handling value conflicts, ease the work of care workers, and more generally ensure a better quality of life for older adults. The study has four phases: (1) exploration, (2) interpretation in collaboration with practitioners, (3) developing practice-oriented product, and 4) implementation. Phase 1 was conducted in 2018. In this phase, observations were carried out in five care institutions in a Danish Municipality for a total of 25 days. These observations led to the development of interview guides. Based on the interview guides, 31 participants (residents, care workers, relatives and managers) were interviewed for 30–60 min at the five institutions. In Phase 2, data will be analyzed and interpreted by the researchers in collaboration with representatives from the five institutions. Phases 3 and 4 are forthcoming, and the study is scheduled to terminate in 2021.