Addiction Treatment for Seniors
Guidance on addiction treatment for seniors, covering late-onset alcoholism, risk factors, common barriers to care, and what effective rehab for older adults involves.
At a glance
- Addiction in seniors can involve alcohol, prescription medications, or other substances and may be overlooked.
- Common signs include confusion, falls, isolation, mood changes, or taking medications differently than prescribed.
- Older adults may face treatment barriers such as stigma, health problems, transportation, or limited social support.
- Age-responsive treatment can address substance use, medical needs, mental health, and recovery support together.
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Articles (7)
Addiction in the Elderly - Is Grandma Addicted?
Why do older people become addicts? What drugs are they likely to abuse? What to do if you suspect your beloved senior citizen relative is using drugs.
7 Characteristics of Effective Addiction Treatment for Older Adults and Seniors
It's a given that older adults and seniors do better in treatment programs with peers of a similar age, but what else do you need to look for to find a great addiction treatment program that's going to work well for an older adult or a senior?
10 Barriers to Addiction Treatment for Older Adults
Older adults find it difficult to access good, knowledgeable and age-appropriate treatment programs. Here are ten major reasons why seniors are under served in this area.
Substance Abuse & Addiction Risk Factors for Older Americans
When older Americans use drugs it’s often for the same reasons that teenagers do: to cope, out of curiosity, and from a lack of passions. Feelings of mortality, boredom and loneliness are common precursors.
Alcohol Rehab for Older Women - It Is Never too Late
Seniors do very well in alcohol rehab, and since the risks of drinking increase as we age, older women who drink too much need help right now.
It's Never Too Late for Help: Alcohol Abuse and The Elderly
Estimates put the number of alcohol dependent seniors in the millions, and only a fraction of these are getting the help they need. For a number of reasons, alcohol abuse in the elderly often goes undiagnosed; and too often, elderly alcoholics are never presented with the treatment options that could greatly improve their health and quality of life. Old age is not a valid reason for self destructive drinking, and families do not offer kindness to older relatives when they attempt to spare them the pain and difficulty of addictions treatment. The elderly deserve the same access to treatment as the rest of the population, and since alcohol is especially debilitating to older bodies, the time for any needed treatment is now.
Drug & Alcohol Rehab for Seniors
We don't customarily consider that there is much of a need for drug and alcohol rehab for seniors, but the reality of senior drug and alcohol abuse requires us to shift our thinking, and get more seniors the help they need for what is becoming a growing societal problem.