The Rise of Addiction in the Elderly Population
Drug addiction in the United States is currently becoming a serious public health concern. While initially, the addiction rate has been high at ages between 18 and 50, the trend could be changing as more seniors continue to find themselves in addiction. The seniors have several age-related illnesses, and with the combination of drug addiction, there is increased health risk amongst the seniors. As this trend seems to continue, it is becoming a public concern issue that has a direct effect on the community.
Age-Related drug addiction is increasingly becoming a serious health problem not only in the United States but worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO), an elderly person is an individual who is 65 years and above. According Rudd (2016), the number of elderly people under substance abuse is expected to double over the next five years. The new changing demographics, as well as the increase in the use of opioid abuse, have all contributed to the shifting addiction towards the elderly. According to the reports by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, at least 19% of the American population aged 60 years and above use a combination of both alcohol and other drugs. The recent survey has shown that people of 65 to 75 of age have an increased rate of substance use with alcohol, marijuana, and opioids being the most abused drugs ( Rudd , 2016).
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While the previous studies had shown that the use of drugs declines as one move towards adulthood, there are currently more than a million of the elderly people who suffer from substance abuse disorder. The current research suggests that substance abuse and addiction is an emerging issue amongst the country’s older adults. An estimation of the current rate suggests that the number of elderly people who are under drug abuse and addiction will double by 2020 ( Rudd , 2016). The elderly population is leading in the substance use disorder, an indication that the rate of addiction amongst the baby boomers is still on the rise.
Drug and alcohol abuse can be harmful to all individuals in all age groups. However, harmfulness can get worse with age as one grows from a youth to an elderly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 2.5 million elderly adults were found to be suffering from drug addiction symptoms in 2016 ( Ong, Uchino & Wethington, 2016 ). This was a double increase to what the number was in the last ten years. The statistics show that the issue of drug addiction amongst the elderly was not a major problem as it is today. According to Ong, Uchino and Wethington (2016 ), drug addiction amongst the elderly population in 2001 and 2016 shows that the rate has almost doubled. The hospital reports show that at least 5 million of the elderly people get prescription for tranquilizers, the most commonly abused drug by the elderly.
While not much research has been done concerning the issue of drug addiction amongst the elderly, there is some research trying to understand why the elderly adults abuse drugs. Most seniors abuse drugs willingly. Even as it stands, this generation takes more drugs and medication than any other group. A recent survey has shown that 33% of elderly people use 5 prescriptions on average per day ( Ong, Uchino & Wethington, 2016 ). According to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, elderly people with drug addiction can be categorized into two major groups, the early and late onset addiction. The early onset addiction begins before one is 65 year while late-onset addition begins after one is 65 years. According to the study published in the Journal of Dual Diagnoses, the early inset abusers usually have many mental and psychological problems than the late-onset abusers ( Ong, Uchino & Wethington, 2016 ). Among all the drug abusers amongst the seniors, 66% is made up of the early-onset abusers ( Ong, Uchino & Wethington, 2016 ). The major reason for this group to get into addiction is due to the involvement in the tolerant attitudes towards drugs, the family conflicts, and financial problems especially now that this is a retired group. However, the key triggers of addiction amongst the late-onset abusers include a decline in the health, retirement, and loss of income. This group unlike the early-onset abusers, represent only 25% of the elderly people who abuse drugs ( Ong, Uchino & Wethington, 2016 ).
The statistics on the drug addiction amongst the elderly population is showing a worrying trend and thus a need for an action to end the problem. According to the data collected between 2007 and 2014, at least 19 million adults took alcohol in the past four months, with over 4 million having binge drinking and 700000 having heavy alcohol use ( Dombrowski et al., 2016 ). This huge figure of the elderly persons being involved in drug addiction is a matter of public health concern. Because this generation takes much of the prescriptions than any other generation, they tend to have a lower metabolism. At the same time, such group suffers from social isolation and ageism which could lead to mental issues and thus more addiction. Close to two-thirds of the elderly population continued to struggle with drug addiction which they started at a younger age and battled with it to an elderly age.
There is a need to find a solution to the issue of drug addiction amongst the elderly because it has become a public health problem affecting the whole society. The elderly drug abusers usually face many risks which include cognitive impairment, poor nutrition, social isolation, and increased illnesses and deaths. Drug abuse and alcoholism amongst the elderly population are linked to the ever-rising mortality rates as well as the increasing healthcare costs amongst the seniors ( Dombrowski et al., 2016 ). With the rising number of elderly people abusing drugs, the number of people who will be required to receive treatments for drug-related problems is also expected to rise. This leads to increased medical costs as well as cases of deaths related to drug-related illnesses. This is, therefore, a real problem in society that needs a solution. Some of the results of the addiction amongst the elderly include chronic pain, overall poor health, chronic illnesses, and mental illnesses. All these put the elderly adults at risks and increase the medical costs as most of this group has a high rate of hospitalization.
The recent research has suggested that addiction amongst elderly people can be treated to help them avoid the risks involved. One of the treatment methods is to have them in the nursing homes where their conditions can be checked as they undergo rehabilitation. The rehabilitation process is to aim at helping the elderly avoid addiction and get back to their positive life ( Dombrowski et al., 2016). During this time, such adults require love and care from the family members to avoid social isolation.
In conclusion, there is sufficient literature to confirm that the rate of addiction has been rising amongst the elderly as compared to the way it was ten years ago. The more elderly population has continued to get into an addiction for various reasons making this issue a public health problem. There are several health risks associated with addiction amongst the elderly adults thus the need to help them cope. The number of deaths as well as health care costs is increasing due to drug-related cases.
References
Rudd, R. A. (2016). Increases in drug and opioid-involved overdose deaths—United States, 2010–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 65 .
Ong, A. D., Uchino, B. N., & Wethington, E. (2016). Loneliness and health in older adults: A mini-review and synthesis. Gerontology , 62 (4), 443-449.
Dombrowski, K., Crawford, D., Khan, B., & Tyler, K. (2016). Current rural drug use in the US Midwest. Journal of drug abuse , 2 (3).
