For instance, if a client reports disagreements with her husband and has visible bruises, screen for possible abuse. Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5419 (PC-PTSD-5) is a five-item questionnaire that identifies clients likely to have PTSD. It was approved for use in a sample of older veterans (mostly male; mean age substance abuse in older adults 63 years).420 All questions are yes/no. A score of 3 or more “yes” responses is considered positive.421 More information on using this tool is available online (/professional/assessment/documents/pc-ptsd5-screen.pdf). This includes ability to complete daily activities, engage in self-care, and maintain intimate relationships and a healthy social life.
Depression and Older Adults
It is important to have support systems in place to help cope with a dementia diagnosis and possible depression symptoms that follow. More research is needed to determine effective depression treatment options for people with dementia. Signs and symptoms of depression can look different depending on the person and their cultural background. People from different cultures may express emotions, moods, and mood disorders — including depression — in different ways.
Older Adults and Substance Use Disorder
It will also help you understand the approach and services the program offers so you can appropriately refer future clients there. Using DSM-5 criteria to make an SUD diagnosis.534 Using an SUD assessment instrument based on DSM-5 criteria will improve diagnostic accuracy. Sexual orientation, identity, and history, including risk factors for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
- Screen regularly, before starting new medication, and when potentially substance-related problems arise, such as injury or accidents.
- Integrated programs can be particularly effective at meeting older adults’ full range of biopsychosocial needs and may be a suitable referral option.
- Clients may misuse both prescribed and nonprescribed substances, such as alcohol, for such reasons.
- She believes the most effective intervention is to raise awareness among all clinicians, so that substance use disorder among older adults can be addressed sooner rather than later.
- Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation.
Brief Assessments
Others may experience depression after a major life event, like a medical diagnosis or a loved one’s death. Sometimes, those under a lot of stress — especially people who care for loved ones with a serious illness or disability — can feel depressed. During the pandemic, excessive drinking increased along with alcohol-induced deaths. Alcohol-induced death rates increased by 38% during the pandemic, with rates the highest and increasing the fastest among AIAN people. AIAN people died of alcohol-induced causes at a rate of 91.7 per 100,000 in 2021, six times more than the next highest group – Hispanic people at a rate of 13.6. Black people also experienced significant increases in alcohol-induced deaths during COVID, with rates increasing more than 45% (Figure 5).
Why Are Seniors Vulnerable To Addiction?
- Drugs can worsen these conditions, exacerbating the negative health consequences of substance use.
- Also make sure you review the training requirements on administration and scoring; formal training may be required prior to using some instruments.
- Use the AUDIT or the AUDIT-C to get more detailed information from clients who use alcohol.
“Benzos” are among the most dangerous prescription medications because they’re highly addictive. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, a growing number of older Americans were misusing alcohol and prescription drugs. Add social isolation to the mix, and fears about contracting a deadly virus, and substance use among seniors is at an all-time high. The need for more research is great, says Lehmann, because data on changing patterns of substance abuse over time are lacking. Indeed, recent projections show that by 2020, substance use disorders among adults over age 50 will increase to 5.7 million, up from 2.8 million in 2006. The rise in use of alcohol and drugs, says Lehmann, is in large part attributed to baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964.
The CAGE-AID should be used with, but not in place of, longer and more detailed alcohol and drug screeners. It can reveal alcohol misuse in people ages 65 and older.328 The first three AUDIT questions measure alcohol intake and are known as the AUDIT-C. Use the AUDIT or the AUDIT-C to get more detailed information from clients who use alcohol. The AUDIT has demonstrated reliability in studies of AUD screening.329 The AUDIT (self-report version) and the AUDIT-C are available in the Chapter 3 Appendix.
Substance Use in Older Adults DrugFacts
Thinking about the role of chronic physical conditions in older clients’ misuse of substances (e.g., use of substances to manage chronic pain). Such conditions can also affect symptoms of substance misuse and treatment response. The remaining 644,547 ED visits by older adults primarily involved adverse reactions to and accidental ingestion of drugs. DAWN does not collect information on alcohol-only ED visits among adults.
Discover the impact alcohol has on children living with a parent or caregiver with alcohol use disorder. Throughout it all, ask questions with compassion and genuine curiosity, and be authentic and gentle with your clients and patients. Person-centered or Rogerian theory gives the client autonomy while also asking open-ended questions to provoke thought about why certain behavioral patterns continue to be beneficial or not. The role of the counselor in this methodology is simply to facilitate a safe environment for self-exploration and self-actualization. No matter when the addiction began, there are treatment options available to help seniors overcome addiction.
Related Resources
