Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults: A Growing Threat

We recently sent an article to all of our colleagues in the Kentucky Association of Senior Living.  As we proceeded in discussions, we think that this issue is more prevalent in independent living situations.

Those of us born between 1946 and 1964 have been blessed by advances in public health and medicine.  Not only is our life expectancy well beyond that of our parents, but we can also expect to live healthier lives with a bit of attention to our own health.

On the other hand, we also bring along certain habits that are injurious to our health including the use of alcohol, marijuana and other “recreational” drugs.  As we grow older, we are less able to tolerate behaviors that we once did, yet we are eager to continue the pleasures we have found for many years.

Substance abuse is a tricky issue for these seniors. The press tells them that addiction lives under the highway.  They do not realize that those images are the very bottom of the abuse curve and represents less than 2% of all substance use disorder.    They do not realize that binge drinking and heavy drinking account for almost 60 million Americans and that marijuana dependence is a real diagnosis.

We want to help.  We are a HIPAA certified telemedicine platform with the very best counselors.  We administer American Society of Addiction Medicine protocols.  We do not assume that every who drinks to excess is an alcoholic, but we do think that the 43 million binge drinkers would benefit from counseling along with the 14% of the population that uses marijuana and in particular the 30% of them who develop a dependence.

We can deliver the highest levels of outpatient care on a state-of-the-art telehealth platform at a time and in a place that is convenient for your clients.  Let’s figure out how to cooperate for the benefit of those seniors and help them realize that long, healthy and happy life.

Sincerely,

Gene Gilchrist, CEO
Stay Clean