Aging Adults And Substance Abuse

The differences between uses of drug and alcohol in adolescent and elderly in American are that start drink at an early age. There is lots of advertising on TV about Alcohol. You do not notice that the elderly have a problem because it is unnoticed. I feel that a family should be there for them. Hispanics are at high risk use of alcohol. They men are the one that drink the most. They will talk to their children about the substance abuse and the use of the 12-step program in their communities. Drug and Alcohol is a problem in every country. The main thing is to get help for

The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of substance abuse in the elderly community. There is concern that as the population ages in the United States, there will be a significant increase in the number of older adults being treated for substance abuse problems. This paper seeks to understand the issues and concerns that are consequently involved with substance abuse among the elderly.

Substance abuse is a very widely known public epidemic in today's society. Many people are unfortunately plagued by this issue. According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), “People abuse substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost,” (para. 1). People that are affected by substance abuse includes a very different range of people. Many that abuse the substances end up having health-related problems which in turn increases the need for health care. Other people that are affected by substance abuse are the family members and friends of the abusers because they have to deal with the person abusing the substances. Things that can be abused are

A broad range of medical and psychological therapies is currently available for people who struggle with substance addictions. The scientific community is working on evaluation of various treatments to determine which strategies offer the best chances of successful outcome. People who need treatment for alcoholism and drug use are very diverse group. Addiction is a disorder that requires an individual case approach; therefore, different ways to

However, making home based treatment more readily available to those who would not have access to or feel comfortable in traditional treatment settings could encourage clients like the elderly to: feel more relaxed because they are in a safe or familiar setting, willing to learn about their current medications and why it is important to not mix or over medicate, express their difficulties with substance abuse/misuse, and develop coping strategies to help reduce or abstain from harmful substance use habits. Ultimately, ease of access to mental health services can also help prevent many unnecessary injuries and other health related issues the elderly may endure due to substance related

Substance abuse has been a known topic which has not been recognized and fully treated the way it should. Unlike general medicine, substance abuse treatments have their own facility and services apart from general settings, making it harder to get the recognition and the assistance needed to help the individuals in need. Both the Affordable Care Act and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), which is a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services have promoted and established ways to enhance the quality of the treatment and the amount of treatment given.

Long term, it is much easier and cheaper to perform preventive health care than to try to manage acute and/ or chronic diseases. All at risk individuals should be given education on the dangers of developing a substance abuse problem, emphasizing that it can happen to anyone- young or old, rich or poor, etc. Health care providers need to address the supposed invincibility commonly associated with those who excessive drink alcohol or use drugs. These individuals are not quite as invincible nor do most have everything as under control as they may think. Although many may know the dangers, it is important to explain that the negative health impacts may not be noticeable right away, but the damage is still being done. Additionally, these at risk patients should work with social workers or case management to set up referrals to substance abuse cessation programs within the

Drugs and alcohol is a major social issue (J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano, and Janet Y. Miller, 1992). It is not something that can be solved by the law (Lee P. Brown, 2008). Throughout history, many attempts have been made to try and legalize and control alcohol and drug addiction but has failed.

About 24 million Americans over age 12 (or 9% of the population) have used an illegal drug (mostly marijuana) or abused a medication in the past month, (APA 2013). A drug is (1) any substance that affects the physical or mental functioning of a living organism, especially one used for the treatment or prevention of an ailment or disease or (2) a stimulant or narcotic taken otherwise than medically

Substance abuse in the elderly exists just as in any other population. Many seniors develop substance abuse problems due to circumstances or situations due to the aging process. A report by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that 17% of adults age 60 and older are affected by alcohol abuse and abuse of legal drugs.

Integrating substance use disorder (SUD) and healthcare services is a major target in the era of healthcare reform.1 Care integration has gained momentum with the recognition that people with SUDs often have multiple physical health problems and are at greater risk for chronic diseases (e.g., congestive heart failure).1 One practice that has been cited as important in efforts to integrate care is Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), an evidence-based model that can be used to identify and address risky substance use in healthcare and other clinical settings.2

Substance abuse disorders is easily defined when an “individual continues to use the substance despite experiencing negative consequences from their use. These negative consequences can include health problems; difficulties in their family, work, and social life; and financial and legal problems. They are said to be dependent on the substance when,” in addition to theses negative consequences, they build tolerance and experience withdrawal if they stop using the drug” (Martin, 2007, p. 265). Substance abuse dates back to the early Americans colonies with beer that was brought over by the pilgrims and more popularly the ratification of the Constitution to prohibit the use of alcohol

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance

In just a decade, according to a recent report by NHS digital, alcohol related admissions have risen by 22 per cent, with 39 thousand estimated admissions in the past few years.

A couple of issues related to seniors and substance abuse is that there seems to be lack of knowledge, limited research, and hurried Dr. Office visits therefore healthcare providers often overlook substance abuse and misuse in the older adults. Diagnosis of substance abuse is difficult because symptoms of substance abuse in the elder will mimic the same symptoms of other medical and behavioral issues like diabetes, dementia, and depression (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1998). Oftentimes new medications are not tested on older subjects so they have no way of recognizing an adverse reaction or psychoactive effect in this group. The other reasons there’s lack of attention to substance abuse the older adult is the shame about use and misuse of substances, often times family member of the affected adult also choose not to address it because they are ashamed. They consider this to me a personal private matter and are reluctant to discuss it with anyone. The family can also become enablers to the substance abuse problem because they think that’s what makes them happy “cocktails”, and it shouldn’t matter because they are not going to be around much longer anyways (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1998). Alcohol abuse in this generation is complicated by the use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The elderly spend over $500 million yearly on medications. Combining medications and alcohol frequently result in significant adverse reactions (FYI Elderly Alcohol and Substance Abuse).