Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2018 - 33

Diagnosis
The Substance Abuse Among Older Adults: Treatment
Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 26 Consensus Panel
recommends that every 60-year-old should be screened for alcohol
and prescription drug abuse as part of his or her regular physical
examination and rescreening if certain physical symptoms are
present or if the older person is undergoing major life changes or
transitions.
Caregivers also can work with their providers to have a
professional assessment of their loved one.

Treatment and Recovery
Despite the challenges older adults face, they're often very
successful in recovery. They are more likely to follow clinical
recommendations, have great respect for medical professionals, and
consider family their greatest motivator for sobriety.
For instance, if an older adult is in denial about the havoc
substance abuse is wreaking on their bodies, when a medical
professional presents them with the scientific facts and evidence
about these effects, it often is the strategy that breaks through their
denial. Raised to be respectful of doctors, they tend to trust their
words. In another case, as the NCADD suggests, older adults may
simply be unaware of the new effect the medications they've always
taken and the amount they have always consumed are having on

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their body as it changes. A doctor can give them the resources and
instructions they need to take charge of their health.
Older adults may require inpatient treatment that addresses
all of their medical needs. Treatment programs should be very
family-intensive. In many cases, this is because access to children
and grandchildren are the one thing they have "left to lose." The
promise of seeing grandchildren again when they are well becomes
an incredible incentive. While the patient is complex, the outlook in
older adult addiction recovery is very positive.
It is time for us to recognize this hidden epidemic among older
adults. We must be acutely aware of the effect the loss of spouse
has on the remaining partner and not allow their distress to be lost
among the family's collective grief. The first three years as a widow or
widower are the most dangerous times in this type of bereavement,
so families should monitor closely.
Substance Use Disorder among older adults is clearly a
tremendous problem, one that has grown significantly in recent years
due to the aging baby boomer demographic and an overprescribing
of prescription medication-and one that will continue to grow
with the aging of our population. We must improve the quality
of life for our older generations. The more caregivers, healthcare
professionals, and family understand about the warning signs the
more likely that older adults will get the correct diagnosis and be
able to truly appreciate their golden years.

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FALL 2018

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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2018