News / Education
Older Addicts
As we push the boundaries of middle age, substance abuse is reaching older individuals who have special needs when it comes to overcoming addiction.
We’ve all heard the pronouncements: “60 is the new 50!” “50 is the new 40!” As a society, we are pushing the boundaries of middle age. Americans are marrying later, putting off parenthood longer and looking younger than ever.
Elderly Addicts
Surprisingly, those who hit retirement age are also picking up habits usually reserved for those much younger. Believe it or not, addiction is becoming a problem for the 65-and-over set. A recent University of Iowa investigation which appeared in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests that substance abuse in the older population is a particularly serious health concern.
Despite this growing problem, the study found that only 17.7 percent of facilities that provide substance abuse services reported specialized substance abuse treatment provisions for elders.
"As the elder population continues to increase in states such as Iowa, Florida and Arizona, the sheer number of elderly with substance abuse problems will increase considerably," says Stephan Arndt, Ph.D., University of Iowa professor of psychiatry and study author.
Elderly Addicts Special Needs
And those older addicts have special needs that must be addressed for the recovery process to be successful. According to Arndt, people over age 65 may have any number of special needs that differ from younger clients. Potential solutions involve creating more specialized treatment programs for older adults or modifying current programs to better accommodate the special needs of elderly clients.
"The good news is that people are starting to become more aware of elders with a problem," Arndt says. "Substance abuse programs targeting elderly will become more specialized, involving more close medical monitoring and interaction with peers."
Addiction Help
If you or a family member is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call La Paloma at our toll-free number, 877-345-1887. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
