Alcohol and Substance Abuse Among the Elderly

Alcohol and Substance Abuse among the Elderly
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Alcohol and Substance Abuse among the Elderly
The growing concerns on the substantial increase in the older adults need urgent treatment for substance abuse problem. The concern has to be addressed based on the future projection on the older adults’ treatment. The treatment needs to be defined based on the illicit drug use disorder. Therefore, there is need to shift the focus of addressing special needs and focus on the elderly substance abusers with the developed tools that measure the substance use as well as how to deliver them from the problem.
A continuum of treatment options should be provided to the elderly based on the severity of the problems. The treatment outcomes of the elderly are found to best if there is access to the specialized services provided (Rothrauff, Abraham, Bride, & Roman, 2011). Therefore, the treatment programs should be readily available for easy health utilization to the elderly who have transportation difficulties or geographic isolation. Also, effective intervention is vital for the elderly with a focus on alcohol and prescribed medication on its abuse. The intervention provides education on the substances hence motivating them to change and seek intensive treatments (Ibabe, Stein, Nyamathi, & Bentler, 2014). With normative feedback from the elderly, they are provided with brief advice that is effective for elderly who abuse drugs.
Case management model is also effective for the elderly who abuse drugs and alcohol.

Engaging the elderly with the connection to the treatment of alcohol and substance abuse provides an approach that addresses the complexities of the medical comorbidities (Babypaul, Czernicki, & Kunnumpurath, 2015). With the intervention and case management, the approaches address the health of the elderly, lessens stigma and betters their overall health. As a result, the effective programs engage and maintain the elderly from alcohol and substance abuse.
References
Babypaul, D., Czernicki, M., & Kunnumpurath, S. (2015). Substance Abuse in the Elderly. Substance Abuse, 495-501. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1951-2_36
Ibabe, I., Stein, J. A., Nyamathi, A., & Bentler, P. M. (2014). Predictors of substance abuse treatment participation among homeless adults. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 46(3), 374-381. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2013.10.008
Rothrauff, T. C., Abraham, A. J., Bride, B. E., & Roman, P. M. (2011). Substance Abuse Treatment for Older Adults in Private Centers. Substance Abuse, 32(1), 7-15. doi:10.1080/08897077.2011.540463