Characteristics of people who have received treatment for late-onset problem drinking and alcohol use disorder: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Due to advancements in medicine and healthcare, people now have a greater life expectancy, with the majority living into their 60s (World Health Organization [WHO], 2015). In the UK for example, the growth rate of people aged over 65 is faster than the under 65s; in 2019 there were 12.4 million people aged over 65, an increase of 22.9% since 2009 (Office for National Statistics [ONS], 2020). A rapidly ageing population presents major challenges for the National Health Service (NHS) and social care (Age UK, 2019), challenges further exacerbated by increases in alcohol misuse among the elderly, who consume more alcohol than previous generations (Institute of Alcohol Studies [IAS], 2017). The ‘Baby Boomer’ cohort of older drinkers, people born between 1946 and 1964, now aged between 57 and 75, account for almost half (47%) of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England (Alcohol Policy UK, 2020), highlighting the problematic drinking behaviours of an ever-growing elderly population.