Substance abuse or misuse in the Older Adult population is a growing problem. As our population ages this problem will increase. Alcohol is reported to be the primary substance of abuse for persons aged 50 or Older. Opiates are the second most common one. Common drugs are prescribed for anxiety, pain, and insomnia. Older Adults can become addicted as do their younger counterparts due to taking medications first for pain management. Treatment resources for pain management and addictions are limited for Older Adults. This is a growing problem with limited resources for Older Adults. When reviewing the issues of substance abuse in Older Adults one should review what substance abuse is, how does it begin, what are the barriers and myths to
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These topics included the nature of problem drinking in Older Adults to the difficulties some older people have in accessing alcohol treatment. The six main themes were building effective relationships, talking about alcohol consumption, stigma, shame and embarrassment. These themes were found to prevent older people from seeking or accepting help were ageist attitudes, false beliefs and misconceptions in health care and social workers, and the interruption of the fine line between risk and rights. The study provided some suggestions for social workers when working with Older Adults with alcohol problems. The four things Wadd and Galvani (2014) want people to consider when working with Older Adults with alcohol issues are having social workers understand that with alcohol problems people experience a great deal of shame. Second, ensure the social workers have an awareness that substance abuse does happen with Older Adults and those who care for them. Some Older Adults have late onset of alcoholism, due to loss of spouse, or retirement. Other triggers for using alcohol, according to Kirk and MacDonald (2016) are loneliness, grief and loss, boredom, health concerns, chronic pain, lack of meaningful employment, chronic pain, mental health issues, family issues, financial issues, reduced cognitive functioning, and previous trauma that …show more content…
In 2011, the White House released a strategic plan to respond to this problem. According to the National Institute (2016) This strategy, had federal agencies who worked with states to educate providers, pharmacists, patients, parents, and youth about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the need for proper prescribing, dispensing, use, and disposal; to implement effective prescription drug monitoring programs; to facilitate proper medication disposal through prescription take-back initiatives; and to support aggressive enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills and support development of abuse-resistance formulations for opioid pain relievers. Improvements have been seen in some regions of the country in the form of decreasing availability of prescription opioid drugs and a decline in overdose deaths in states with the most aggressive
These topics included the nature of problem drinking in Older Adults to the difficulties some older people have in accessing alcohol treatment. The six main themes were building effective relationships, talking about alcohol consumption, stigma, shame and embarrassment. These themes were found to prevent older people from seeking or accepting help were ageist attitudes, false beliefs and misconceptions in health care and social workers, and the interruption of the fine line between risk and rights. The study provided some suggestions for social workers when working with Older Adults with alcohol problems. The four things Wadd and Galvani (2014) want people to consider when working with Older Adults with alcohol issues are having social workers understand that with alcohol problems people experience a great deal of shame. Second, ensure the social workers have an awareness that substance abuse does happen with Older Adults and those who care for them. Some Older Adults have late onset of alcoholism, due to loss of spouse, or retirement. Other triggers for using alcohol, according to Kirk and MacDonald (2016) are loneliness, grief and loss, boredom, health concerns, chronic pain, lack of meaningful employment, chronic pain, mental health issues, family issues, financial issues, reduced cognitive functioning, and previous trauma that …show more content…
In 2011, the White House released a strategic plan to respond to this problem. According to the National Institute (2016) This strategy, had federal agencies who worked with states to educate providers, pharmacists, patients, parents, and youth about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the need for proper prescribing, dispensing, use, and disposal; to implement effective prescription drug monitoring programs; to facilitate proper medication disposal through prescription take-back initiatives; and to support aggressive enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills and support development of abuse-resistance formulations for opioid pain relievers. Improvements have been seen in some regions of the country in the form of decreasing availability of prescription opioid drugs and a decline in overdose deaths in states with the most aggressive