Addiction in the Elderly

An ever-growing body of evidence suggests that substance abuse in older adults has gone unnoticed for decades. The baby boom generation, which is currently in its 60s, faces some frighteningly real risks. Most brief interventions are described as using aspects of motivational interviewing (MI)118 or motivational enhancement therapy (MET),119 which encourages a client-centered, nonjudgmental approach to discussing substance use and encouraging positive, healthy changes to the individual’s life. The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test-Geriatric Version (MAST-G)101 is an instrument designed to identify drinking problems and was developed specifically for the elderly by modifying the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test. This screening tool contains 24 questions with yes/no responses; 5 or more positive responses indicate problematic use.

In older adults, especially, too much alcohol can lead to balance problems and falls, which can result in hip or arm fractures and other injuries. Older people have thinner substance abuse in older adults bones than younger people, so their bones break more easily. Studies show that the rate of various types of fractures in older adults increases with heavy alcohol use.

Helping a Senior Recognize Risk​

Alcohol is a factor in about 30% of suicides and fatal motor vehicle crashes, 40% of fatal burn injuries, 50% of fatal drownings and homicides, and 65% of fatal falls. People should not drink alcohol if they plan to drive, use machinery, or perform other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination. Rebecca A. Hill, a member of the National Association of Science Writers, has written about health, science, education, edutech and other issues. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks.

• In fact, the number of older adults dying from alcohol-related causes rose by 18.2 percent between 2019 and 2020.
• Many think they’re too old to have an addiction and believe something else must be going on.
• However, research on this is mixed, and the FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.
• Because of their physical make-up, older women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol.
• If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately.
• These sorts of injuries can pose a greater risk to health than in younger adults and coincide with a possible longer recovery time.

Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions. Similarly, another DSM criterion – spending a lot of time on activities necessary to obtain and use a substance or recover from its effects – is irrelevant to older adults. Effects of substance use are evident after consuming relatively small amounts. Box 2 reviews the potential symptoms or indicators of problematic substance use.

The scope of substance use in older adults

It’s important to read the label to understand and be aware of how much you’re actually drinking. Many people enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two on occasion with friends or family, but alcohol can be addictive. As we age, alcohol consumption can also make existing health problems worse and have dangerous interactions with some medications. With advancing age, uncontrolled use of opioids can alter neurotransmitters in the brain and increase a person’s potential for neurotoxicity, or brain damage caused by exposure to a toxic substance.

However, it is believed these rates are higher because many cases of heavy drinking remain unreported, a large number of comorbid disorders are unidentified, and there are challenges to differential diagnoses of alcohol use disorders in older adults. Drug and alcohol abuse is harmful to health at any age, but never more so than in seniors. The impact of alcohol-related injuries is much more severe, the general physical effects of drugs and alcohol are more serious, and dangerous medical interactions are a distinct and scary possibility. Because of the unique issues facing older adults, both individual and group treatments are recommended.

A Day in the Life of Older Adults: Substance Use Facts

However, treatment centers with medically assisted detox capability can provide older patients with medications to make detox far more bearable. Many centers also offer tailored therapy, support, and expertise to make a recovery go more smoothly. Also, baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) came of age when opinions about alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs were changing. A plain language https://ecosoberhouse.com/ summary of prescription opioids that explains effects on the brain and reported use. There has been little research on the effects of vaping nicotine (e-cigarettes) among older adults; however, certain risks exist in all age groups. Some research suggests that e-cigarettes might be less harmful than cigarettes when people who regularly smoke switch to vaping as a complete replacement.

• In recent months, her one glass has turned into two or more, sometimes even a whole bottle.
• To help head off this path to addiction, family members and caregivers need to know if their older adult is getting needed social services, is connected to a nearby senior care center, has in-home care or social worker support if needed, and has other social supports in place.
• This puts older adults at higher risks for falls, car crashes, and other unintentional injuries that may result from drinking.

Also, the percent of their body weight composed of water decreases, and alcohol affects them more quickly and more strongly. Alcohol takes longer to metabolize in older persons, accumulating in their bodies and leading more quickly to intoxication if consumption is not controlled. Because of their physical make-up, older women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol. The older adult brain is more sensitive to drugs, more likely to experience mood disorders, lung and heart problems and memory issues, the article advises.

Opioids and aging bodies

Some predisposing factors, such as age and knowledge, may be less favorable for older than younger adults. For example, due to feelings of isolation and shame (Kuerbis and Sacco, 2013), older adults often prefer treatment settings geared toward individuals of their same age, rather than settings with broader age ranges. Being married, of minority racial or ethnic ancestry, having attained less than a high school education, and earlier age of SUD onset also tend to lower treatment rates (Blanco et al., 2015). Lack of knowledge about services available can also impede treatment-seeking among older adults (Choi et al., 2014). By contrast, having had previous treatment contact for SUD tends to increase the probability of seeking treatment for another SUD. Yet knowledge of substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) in this cohort lags behind knowledge about the same issues in younger age groups.

According to statistics from the 2005–2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prevalence rates for risky alcohol consumption (more than seven drinks per week or more than three drinks in one sitting) are approximately 10.9% for women and 16.0% for men. In addition, many older adults have binge drinking issues (five or more standard drinks in one sitting). Almost 20% of men and just over 6% of women in this age group are binge drinkers. Drinking too much at one time or on any given day, or having too many drinks over the course of a week, increases the risk of harmful consequences, including injuries and health problems. People who consistently misuse alcohol over time are also at greater risk of developing alcohol use disorder. People with OUD who depend on opioids and cannot manage their use may find their pain worse because opioids can sensitize nerve endings.