New initiative to tackle alcohol and drug addiction for older generation in the West

Bristol charity the St Monica Trust is supporting voluntary organisations across the region to tackle alcohol and drug abuse amongst older people in the West.

The Trust has given £110,000 in a new venture to fund research into the scale and the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse amongst older people and to help with a problem which is often unrecognised, still growing and largely unaddressed. New research1 by the Trust undertaken by the University of the West of England’s Alcohol and Health Research Unit, points to an ageing population with hidden levels of addiction, exacerbated by a lack of services to help.

Kate Stobie is manager of the St Monica Trust Community Fund, which in the last five years has given more than £3.5 million to voluntary and charitable organisations helping older people in the local community as well providing emergency financial help for many hundreds of individuals in need. She explains, “We have been liaising closely with organisations in the region who deal with the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse everyday. To date, most alcohol and drug abuse initiatives have been directed towards the needs of younger generations, and the impact of alcohol on the health of older people, , although recognised, is often undiagnosed. Many older people, and their families, who need help with addiction problems are simply slipping through the net.”

One organisation receiving funding from the Trust is Addiction Recovery Agency in Bristol who is undertaking research in partnership with Bristol City Council into the needs of people with alcohol addiction in local authority housing, with a view to improving their circumstances and developing specialist support services.

Confirms Chief Executive at ARA, Peter Walker, “This support from the St Monica Trust has enabled us to look in detail at the needs of an extremely vulnerable group of older people who present real challenges to housing management and social care and support agencies. The research we have commissioned will throw new light on the complex problems faced by this group of people and provide clear recommendations of what might be done to improve their quality of life.”

In Weston, Broadway Lodge has received help from the St Monica Trust towards the cost of developing and distributing support information of older addicts, their family and carers. The Salvation Army in Bristol has received money for six treatment spaces in detox units, specifically to help people over the age of 55. In total, 14 organisations have received awards from the Trust supporting initiatives in Gloucestershire, BANES, North Somerset and Bristol.

Adds Kate Stobie, “Many of these projects are highlighting very specific reasons why older people may be affected by some form of substance abuse. One group is completing a three year project focused on dependence on prescription drugs, another is looking at how older people deal with the consequences of a disability, often turning to drugs and alcohol as a result.

“We hope all these initiatives will significantly advance understanding of the problems and help evolve new support solutions. It’s an area we strongly believe needs more help, and through its Community Fund, the St Monica Trust is committed to maintaining this investment over next few years.”
1 Alcohol and Older People: a review of issues and responses by Professor Moira Plant and Professor Martin Plant