A new study suggests that alcohol use is rather widespread and may be abused in assisted living (AL) facilities.

Nurse aides who had worked in AL facilities believed the majority of AL residents (69%) drank alcohol.

Of these, a third (34%) of residents were considered by the nurse aides to drink on a daily basis. Also, 44% of the nurse aides suspected that some residents under their care made poor choices about alcohol, with 40% saying such use had a negative impact on residents’ health.

According to the researchers, AL facilities are faced with a dilemma.

To learn more, see Castle, N.G. (2012). Alcohol misuse and abuse reported by nurse aides in assisted living. Research on Aging, 34(3), 321-326.