Alcoholism of the Elderly in the Bronx

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Alcoholism of the Elderly in the Bronx

As the social problems increase in their diversity and occurrence, a significant percentage of the population are resorting to various measures in a bid to cope with the respective problems. Alcoholism is one of the practices that populations of all ages are assuming in order to cope with the wide ranging social problems. Although this is not sustainable, it provides a temporary escape to the daily challenges that the affected populations grapple with. This practice has had diverse impacts on the holistic wellbeing of the individuals as well as the society. Alcoholism among the elderly is a social problem that is increasingly gaining prominence in Bronx. This can be attributed to the various social problems that the population in this region faces. It is against this background that this paper provides an in depth analysis of alcoholism amongst the elderly in Bronx. In detail, it evaluates the effects of the practice, statistics, prevalence and reasons for occurrence.

Statistical evidence indicates that a significant 17% of the elderly in Bronx and faced with the problem of alcoholism (Gary, Efremova, Army and Saba 228). Hospital statistics indicate that 21% of the older adults in hospitals suffer from drug related health problems.  These comprise of both the hardy survivors and the late onset groups. With regards to gender, both the male and females suffer from alcoholism equally. This practice has been triggered by various factors that are social, economic, medical and cultural in nature.

On of the common causes of this problem in Bronx pertains to the low social and economic status of the population residing in the region. Lack of sufficient resources to cater for all the needs of a family makes an individual to be stressed up This culminates in incidences of stress and depression that drive an individual to alcoholism. According to Lowinson, Ruiz, Millman and Langrod, alcoholism amongst the elderly in Bronx is also caused by the inabili.............