Mr. Anderson, a 76-year-old widower, presents for a follow-up visit 8 months after his wife's death. He lives alone, appears disheveled, and has unintentionally lost 10 pounds. He reports poor sleep and increasing reliance on wine to "take the edge off." His daughter reports he is more forgetful and has had two recent falls. He admits to drinking 3-4 glasses of wine per night, often more, and says it helps him feel less alone. The nurse administers the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and records a score of 18, with positive responses for: •Drinking 4+ times/week Consuming 3-4 drinks/day • Inability to stop drinking once started • Guilt/remorse after drinking • Alcohol-related injury Which nursing action is most appropriate in response to these findings?

A. Advising a fixed limit (e.g., two drinks daily) and passive 6-month follow-up underestimates the current risk signaled by an AUDIT of 18 and the documented functional harms (falls, weight loss, injury). B. Initiating a brief, nonjudgmental motivational interview (to explore readiness to change) and referring to a geriatric behavioral-health/addiction specialist is the appropriate next step given an AUDIT score in the harmful/higher-risk range and evidence of alcohol-related harms; older adults benefit from brief intervention plus prompt specialty referral when indicated. C. Documentation and addressing nutrition/falls are necessary but insufficient alone - the AUDIT score and alcohol-related injury require targeted substance-use intervention. D. Normalizing heavy drinking as grief coping risks missing a treatable substance-use disorder and opportunities for intervention and safety planning.