Substance Abuse Among Older Adults

There are many populations at risks for alcohol and drug abuse. Adults transitioning from middle to later life is one population that is at risks more than ever for alcohol and drug misuse and abuse. It is believed that in years to come, there will be a great increase in numbers as it relates to the amount of adults who are misusing and abusing substances. The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss the prevalence of substance misuse and abuse among older adults. Different treatment approaches and ways to advocate for this population will also be discussed in the text. This paper will also attempt to explain the factors correlated with the increased risk of substance misuse for this population. Research data will also be presented that explains the reasoning off all

It is hard to really determine the extent of this problem, but researchers believe that there are a few common reasons why this populations misuse is becoming an epidemic. Some use drugs and alcohol to deal with their transition into later life, while others use it as a coping mechanism to deal with grief or loneliness. “Surveys indicated that as much as 17% if the over-65 age group may be suffering from abuse” (Alpert, 2014). As many know, once one becomes of a certain age, doctor visits start to seem like home. Since older adults are visiting doctors and hospitals more frequently, they are more likely to be prescribed different medications. Much research shows that prescriptions drugs are the most common form of drug abuse among this population. “Elderly persons use prescription medications approximately three times as much as frequently as the general population but have the poorest rates of compliance with directions for taking medication” (Morgan & Brosi, 2007). Because of the amount of prescription medications that are prescribed to older adults, they are more likely to misuse their medications leading to drug