Older adults have higher rates of chronic pain, and opioid prescription fill rates were disproportionately higher among adults aged 65 years or older from 2008–2018 55. Han et al. found that, among adults 65 years and older, an estimated 1.2% reported past-year prescription opioid misuse in 2015–2016 56. The overall number of older adults reporting binge and heavy drinking was likely grossly underestimated when considering that the binge threshold for older adults is typically considered to be 3 drinks per day for men and 2 drinks per day for women. A study utilizing data from the 2014–2019 National Health Interview Surveys reported that the estimated prevalence of past-month binge drinking among men 65 years or older significantly increased from 12.8% in 2015 to 15.7% 15.
Assessing Social Support
Explore how your clients’ understanding of spirituality relates to their overall well-being, experience of recovery, sense of meaning and purpose, health, and coping with loss, stress, or adversity. You can incorporate mindfulness practices in work with older adults or refer your clients to local programs that teach mindfulness. For more on mindfulness and mindfulness-based programs, see the website of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at /cfm. In rare cases, friends and family members may commit elder abuse.1166 If you think such mistreatment is occurring, screen your older client for elder abuse (see Chapter 3 of this TIP).
Chapter 7 Appendix
In general, pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments developed for SUDs in the general population have been shown to be safe and effective in older adults, with psychotherapeutic interventions being of particular use. In the treatment of AUD, naltrexone has consistently what foods contain alcohol been shown to be highly effective for older adults, often superior to its effectiveness in younger populations 28. On the other hand, disulfiram should generally be avoided in older adults due to its contraindications with cerebrovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, etc., that are more common in older adults 29. Compared to their younger counterparts, older adults are more vulnerable to the impacts of alcohol.
Provider Resources
In recent years, the number of senior citizens seeking addiction treatment in the United States has skyrocketed. The number of adults aged 55 and over who sought out addiction treatments increased by more than 50 percent between 2009 and 2020. This alarming statistic shows that substance use disorders do not discriminate and can affect any population, including older adults. Older adults have impairments in drug metabolism and elimination, causing opioids to be more potent and have longer duration of action than predicted in older adults compared to younger adults 59. In fact, a recent study demonstrated that baby can you drink alcohol while taking levaquin boomers have an increased risk of death from prescription opioid and heroin overdose compared to younger cohorts, suggesting more dramatic consequences of opioid misuse in older adults 60.
- This article briefly summarizes data on the epidemiology, service use, and clinical considerations of substance use and SUDs in older adults, and suggests future directions.
- The consensus panel recommends the strategies discussed below, which apply to diverse clinical and service settings, for promoting wellness among older adults in recovery.
- She became the General Service Representative of her home AA group and sponsored many members over the years.
- Consistent with this study, NSDUH data indicate that among adults ages 65 and older with SUD, in 2018, 24 percent received treatment for drug use disorders, and 16.8 percent received treatment for alcohol use disorders (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2019).
- It’s essential to understand why seniors are increasingly suffering from addiction so we can better prevent it in older adults.
Also check with the AAA or the Aging and Disability Resource Center (if available) for your community. Acknowledge that spirituality or religious engagement may be important to your clients’ well-being. Ask clients what worked and did not work, and help them adjust the change plan while making progress toward change goals. For older adults in retirement, occupational wellness may be more about satisfaction and enrichment from nonpaid work such as volunteering in the community or a satisfying hobby like gardening or painting.
Pharmacologic treatment of SUD has been extensively studied in adult patients what is smack in the dirt but not older adults.3,12 There are no randomized, control trials that study pharmacologic treatment of SUD in older adults.3,12 Disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone have indications for alcohol abuse. Bupropion, varenicline, and nicotine replacement are options for nicotine dependence. There has been little research on the effects of vaping nicotine (e-cigarettes) among older adults; however, certain risks exist in all age groups.
Involving family members and other caregivers in older adults’ treatment (with express consent from clients). If you’re worried about an older loved one’s use of alcohol or drugs, talk to them about it. If that doesn’t work, consider asking their doctor, minister, or a longtime friend to approach them instead. Here are a few key factors contributing to the growing substance abuse problem among seniors.
Sometimes, people notice but ignore it, thinking it’s best for older people to keep doing what makes them happy. Provides information about the scope of substance use in older adults, the risk factors for substance use disorders in… They offer a safe and comfortable space to talk freely and openly about one’s experiences. They can provide an opportunity for older adults to connect with peers who have gone through similar struggles, providing a forum to share advice and strategies that have proven successful in managing their addiction.