Senior Citizen Parents are alcoholics, should I intervene?

My parents (both over age 63) are alcoholics. They function within the real world to some degree and both have jobs, but both have had illnesses related to their drinking and smoking (2 packs a day for both) that have kept them from work for up to 3-5 days at a time. They "cover" for each other regarding their drinking and their health issues and my sisters and I worry that there may be more serious things going on that we don't know about. (Our Dad has fallen and blacked out before and our Mom has tried to hide it from us). My sisters and I have confronted our parents and asked them to seek treatment, we've offered financial help in doing that, but we've been met with pride and an attitude of "it's not that big of a problem". We feel at this point that until they feel they need help, theres really not much we can do but love them and wait for something bad to happen. People in our town know their secret and love them anyway...What would you do if these were your parents?

Exactly what you said above. I couldn't have said it better. you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Good luck to and your sisters.

If they're refusing treatment, as much as it hurts and frustrates you, there's not much you can do.

You can try contacting a local alcohol or substance abuse support group for friends of alcoholics or substance abusers. They may at least be able to offer you some support in coping with it. And, who knows, maybe they'll have more ideas for how you can broach the topic with your parents.

Good luck!

LMAO that is very funny, darling if it makes them happy then please let them enjoy their final yrs, i dont think they have much to loose, they got eachother, they raised you kids and you may miss them while they are gone but what good is it if you take away what makes them happy. Health wise it's wrong but hey maybe they planned on retiring that way when they were younger and they are just living their dreams. IF they are happy leave them be.