Substance Abuse Among Older Adults

According to the Diagnostic Statistic Manual 5 (DSM-5) substance use disorder is when the individual has a dependency on alcohol or drug, followed by penetrating craving and antisocial behavior to acquire the substance. The terms substance abuse and substance dependence refer to substance use disorder, which has been separated into three classifications as follows

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.

Practice models used in treatment of substance abuse have up until recently only been recommended for the intervention of younger addicts. As a result, treatment approaches for older adults are lacking in evidence. However, screening for substance abuse is the first step towards determining if a more thorough assessment is needed. Cook et al. (1998) reported that it is necessary to take a holistic approach to treatment, and take a broader focus than just the chemical abuse because as people age their psychological and health problems become more complex (p. 146). Older adults face life changes and lack of poor support networks are more deeply felt. Bogunovic (2012) answered that, “A comprehensive evaluation should include a thorough physical examination and laboratory analysis and psychiatric, neurological, and social evaluation.” Such measures are effective when paired with screening

Unfortunately, elderly populations seem to be far more displaced in our society than most of us are aware. Concerns of who or how they will be cared for when they can no longer care for themselves properly are always highly stressed, but drug abuse and misuse are

The report also states that a third of those seniors who abuse substances did not have a substance abuse problem in their earlier years. People usually think of substance abuse as using illegal drugs and young people as the most common abusers. People do not think of seniors as abusers of drugs. As a result, the issue of

The issue of substance misuse and abuse among the elderly population is complex. The elderly rarely use alcohol or drugs to get high rather drug or alcohol use that begins after age 60 appears fundamentally different (Culberson & Ziska 2008). The elderly sometimes turn to alcohol and drugs to alleviate the physical and psychological pain from the onslaught of medical and psychiatric illness, the loss of loved ones or social isolation (Culberson & Ziska 2008). Elderly patients have a combination of and functional and social habits that support substance use. As adults age, they are often unable to do the social things they have been accustomed to. This is when many elderly persons begin to display problems doing the tasks of daily life. The option of taking a pill with the promise that it will aid in living independently is often a viable option for the elderly. This desire to remain independent is an important part in the complex treatment plan that is established when it comes to assisting an elderly patient who is abusing his or her medication.

However, the substances that alter the mind and individual’s behaviors continue to take a major toll on individuals throughout the nation (Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion). There is a demand to lower substance abuse, such as Adderall and similar prescription stimulants, use and abuse among college students; especially in regards to non-medical uses. According to Healthy People 2020, societal attitudes and licit responses to the ingestion of illicit drugs make substance abuse one of the most convoluted public health concerns (Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion). The purpose of this study is to explore non-medical use and abuse of Adderall and other prescription stimulants among undergraduate college students within the United

Based on research I believe the above statement is false. Substance abuse is not a minor problem with any population and the elderly are not an exception. Substance abuse in the elderly tends to focus on a different set of psychoactive substances than those abused by younger adults, with the exception of alcohol, which is commonly abused across the adult life span (Segal, Qualls, & Smyer, 2011). With the younger generation they are more likely to abuse illegal drugs, but with the older generation they are more likely to abuse prescription medicine and over the counter medicine which is as serious as the illegal drug abuse (Segal et al., 2011). When substance abuse is present in

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

The population of seniors and older adults are establishing an ever increasing concern to the United States and its system of health care. Life expectancy in America has increased and those who are blessed with old age are receiving all the side effects, from oral and health care concerns, to housing and nursing needs. Older adults are people aged sixty or older, and there is considerable data showing that substance abuse problems are common in this population but are mainly ignored. Substance abuse among older Americans is one of the fastest growing health problems in the country. Some reasons affecting substance use and abuse in older adults include social status, health levels, and lack of knowledge and data on the issue, while circumstances that might exacerbate the abuse include the participation of caregivers and the shame a denial of abuse. Health professionals often fail to identify drug problems in older adults for a variety of reasons, and lack of awareness means it is routinely misdiagnosed and undertreated, as symptoms often mimic depression, dementia, or diabetes. The baby-boom generation is substantially larger than previous ones and is placing greater strain on U.S. healthcare. When this is coupled with the lack of real advocacy for this particular population it means that the size and scope of this problem is likely

Young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, are most at risk for non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD), due to the fact

Substance abuse is quite common in the elderly, and there are multiple reasons why. One reason is polypharmacy. This could be because they need to be on those medications or because of a underlying factor that ageism is in the healthcare system. This is more common that people think. With the shortage of staff, human error, miss diagnosing, or lack of knowledge; piling medications on top of one another without taking the time to see if they are really needed, or if they have any interaction when placed together polypharmacy tends to be one of the reasons the elderly abuse drugs unknowingly. They believe the doctors know best and do as told. Another way for polypharmacy to be a reason, is if the elder is having impairments with vision or cognitive

As established by experts in the field, prescription drug abuse by older adults is known presently to be worsening in intensity. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, in a publication on their website entitled “Seniors and Drugs,” identifies the

Alcohol and prescription medication abuse among those aged 60 years and older is a growing epidemic (Alpert, 2014). Approximately 2.5 million older adults have a substance abuse disorder (Alpert, 2014). The numbers of those affected are rising and it is projected to double by 2020 (Alpert, 2014). Alcohol abuse among the older adult population is a heterogeneous problem that occurs over a broad socioeconomic spectrum. Moderate alcohol and drug consumption may have a profound impact because of the physiological and pharmacologic changes that are associated with aging (Alpert, 2014).

One negative behavior detrimental to aging adults is substance abuse. Substance abuse is the dependence on addictive substance ranging from alcohol to drugs, drugs are either be medically prescribed, illicit or recreational drugs. Most aging adults do not consider drinking a one or two bottles of wine every day as alcohol abuse but they often forget that their body have grown weaker due to age therefore, over consumption of alcohol is bad. Some aging adults also binge drink or believe that you cannot have a drinking problem at a certain age which is wrong. Older patients are likely to be prescribed long term and multiple prescription which can lead to unintentional misuse because of the difficult to keep track of the number pills and different