In my master's thesis, I researched the lives of elderly individuals struggling with alcohol addiction from the perspective of social work. I aimed to understand how alcohol addiction impacts the lives of the elderly, how they experience alcohol addiction, their needs and their experiences with the treatment provided by social workers. I conducted interviews with elderly individuals who have experience with alcohol addiction and are associated with one of the organizations that assist people struggling with alcohol addiction. My research revealed that alcohol addiction predominantly has a negative impact on various aspects of an elderly person's life. Alcohol addiction induces substantial changes in the social, economic, physical and psychological dimensions of their lives. These changes evoke negative emotions in connection with addiction while simultaneously providing positive feelings that contribute to their reluctance to seek treatment promptly. Elderly individuals' attitude towards alcohol addiction is closely linked to their physical and psychological attachment to alcohol. Fort them, alcohol serves as an escape from reality, aids in daily functioning, provides emotional support, and imparts meaning to their lives. The research sheds light on the diverse needs of elderly individuals during addiction, encompassing both professional and informal assistance. The services acessed by elderly individuals during alcohol addiction treatment prove largely beneficial and accessible in various ways. However, the research also highlights instances of dissatisfaction. Exploring the experiences of elderly individuals with social workers' treatment, I identified certain expectations and prejudices they hold regarding how social workers will interact with them. While most experiences are positive, some elderly individuals have negative encounters with social workers. Concerning the desired help and attitude from social workers, elderly individuals express a preference for individually tailored treatment, a listening ear, ample time for treatment support, understanding, perserverance, non-obtrusiveness, absence of judgement and authenticity in the social worker. Through my research, I have concluded that adressing alcohol addiction in elderly individuals requires specialized treatment and a unique approach from social workers. The proposals presented in this study include ideas for adjustments that could enchance the effectiveness of such treatment.
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