Wednesday July 15, 2009, 3:25 pm
"A survey for charity Foundation66 found over one in eight (13%) admitted to drinking more following retirement.

Of these, one in five (19%) uses alcohol because of depression, and one in eight (13%) drinks to deal with bereavement.

The charity is urging government to fund more services to tackle problem drinking among older people."

Read more at site..

Wednesday July 15, 2009, 10:57 pm
oh no! will we get gangs of rampaging pensioners on zimmer frames tearing up the town,terrorising the neighbourhood.?! well anyway they're too old to die young!!!!

Thursday July 16, 2009, 2:28 pm
The article should remind younger adults that they ought to show more concern towards the wellbeing of their senior neighbors and invite them to share their time and experience as they participate in worthwhile causes. Through such an humanitarian course of action seniors would be less inclined to fall in depressive states. Let's keep senior adults busy!

Thursday July 16, 2009, 3:16 pm
This news story reminded me when I was about 18..living in the Greenwich Village..Right next door to me was an elderly woman..about 70..She was so terribly lonely..all alone in the world..no family..all of her friends gone..and she drank..a lot..She was taken to the hospital one night..I really thought she had passed away..Well when she got back to her apartment..I stopped by and introduced myself and asked how she was feeling..She cried..
And right after that..I sort of adopted her as an Aunt..after she said she always wished she had a niece.. She really was the sweetest lady I have ever met..I would take her to a lunch in the park every Sat..Always stopped by to see if she needed anything..or just wanted some company..She actually got me hooked on scrabble..It was her favorite game and she loved playing it..and beating me badly too..
She passed away that winter..but..before she died..she shared with me..how happy she was since she met me..and told me I was the best niece..My heart cried..in a bittersweet sort of way..

You are so right Christoph..It really doesn't take that much time to give someone a big heart-smile..and it certainly gives you one right back..
Thanks for your thoughtful comment..

Thursday July 16, 2009, 3:17 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Christoph because you have done so within the last week.

Thursday July 16, 2009, 4:33 pm
Probably in all honesty these elderly people have been drinking all their lives. Family and friends need to help their alcoholic loved ones by going to Al-Anon and taking the focus off the alcoholic. In this way, the alcoholic has to see for himself and has to reach bottom, before they will reach out and go to AA meetings. I know from working this program in Al Anon and how it changed our, yes our lives around. One AA member used to come to our Al Anon meetings - asked why? Well he said, I go to AA for my drinking, and to Al-Anon for my thinking. He was a recovering alcoholic. You will find many who have worse problems than you, but that doesn't make yours go away, but together we can learn to focus on ourselves to get better. Remember alcoholism is a disease just like any other form of illness. We don't turn away people when they have say Tuberculosis or MS.

Friday July 17, 2009, 10:10 am
Oh so true Christoph.