fbpx
Schedule Your Appointment - Fill Out the Form Below
Skip to content
The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, PLLC
  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning FAQs
      • Asset Protection
      • Ethical Wills
      • Special Needs Trusts
      • Special Needs Resources
    • Probate
    • Guardianship
  • Our Firm
    • Attorney
    • Speaking Opportunities
    • Firm Overview
  • Getting Started
  • Videos
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Careers
817-462-5454
drug abuse

Drug Abuse Becoming More Prevalent with Seniors

Posted on November 6, 2019 | by Lori Pulvermacher

Many seniors are from a generation that, on the whole, still scorn drug abuse and stigmatize those people who engage in such activities. However, as the baby boomer numbers increase in senior living environments, they bring with them a more freewheeling attitude about drug use and misuse rooted in the culture of the 1960s and onward. Many of the senior baby boomers have experienced illegal drugs first hand, and because of a sense of nostalgia, their views may be more tolerant to the overuse or abuse of drugs.

The opioid epidemic in America is now firmly rooted in the senior population. Statistics indicate that opioid addiction has been growing as fast or even faster among seniors compared to other age groups. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates 115 Americans die every day from overdosing on opioids and according to 2014 report by the government Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the rate of hospitalization for opioid overuse among those people 65 and older has increased over five-fold since 1993, and continues to worsen.

The crisis has grown mainly from doctors prescribing opioids like OxyContin much more frequently beginning in the mid-1990s under guidelines and assurances from pharmaceutical companies that opioid pain relievers were not as addictive as previously reported. However, this opioid class of drug is highly addictive, and many patients prescribed the medication end up abusing their prescriptions. Based on controversial research in 2009, the American Geriatric Society (AGS) announced that they were in favor of prescribing opioids, asking doctors to consider opioids for any senior with moderate or severe pain. Since seniors often have multiple chronic pain conditions, it is easy to see how addiction rates can skyrocket among the senior population. But, it is more than just opioids.

According to the Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal, of the 63% of senior study participants who had an alcoholic drink over the course of one month, 13% had engaged in binge drinking, which is defined as having five or more drinks in a single session of imbibing. Bars and pubs are becoming one of the new normal amenities in life plan communities, and they can put seniors at significant risk. Stumbling and falling after having too much to drink or driving a small golf cart while impaired can have disastrous consequences. There is also a danger of mixing prescription medications with alcohol, which can be fatal.

Beyond opioids and alcohol, there is marijuana. As more and more states legalize medicinal (and recreational) marijuana and provide them in edible forms, more seniors are turning to pot as a painkiller and anti-nausea treatment. Contrary to what many believe it is not harmless, especially in a geriatric patient. The strains of marijuana available are potent and can create confusion, delirium, and even psychotic episodes in seniors and their interactions with legally prescribed medications are often hard to assess.

Professional staff in the aging services industry are trained to look for signs of drug misuse and abuse. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is now recommending doctors to opt for short-term, fast-acting medications instead of long-lasting drugs and prescriptions.  But seniors who experience multiple, chronic pains may find this means they take more pills as their conditions are usually degenerative.

The best way to solve the problem is through education. As a senior, one should be aware of their medications and the proper doses to take. Encourage each doctor to prescribe the lowest necessary dose and look to alternative options to address pain. Never exceed the recommended dose as prescribed and follow the instructions given by the doctor.  Do not take prescription medication with alcohol. If a senior is having trouble understanding their medications or gets confused with the dosage, encourage them to talk to a trusted family member. Consider drafting a medical power of attorney document that will allow someone the senior trusts to be their advocate for a safe and happy senior life.

Contact our office today and schedule an appointment by clicking the button below to discuss how we can help you with your planning. You may also call us by dialing (817) 462-5454.

 

Choose your topic and meeting time and we’ll get it on th books.
 

To comply with the U.S. Treasury regulations, we must inform you that (i) any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this newsletter was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any person for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person and (ii) each taxpayer should seek advice from their tax advisor based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances.

Nothing in this message is intended to provide legal advice.  This message is for educational purposes only.

Posted in Uncategorized

Post navigation

How Prenups Figure into Estate Planning
Oversight Lacking with Hospice Providers

Categories

Archives

  Thank you for Signing Up

Join Our Newsletter

Please complete this form to create an account, receive email updates and much more.
  Please correct the marked field(s) below.
Contact Email  *
1,true,6,Contact Email,2
First Name 
1,false,1,First Name,2
Last Name 
1,false,1,Last Name,2
*Required Fields

Get In Touch

We believe that your call should be returned within 24 hours.


800 N. Industrial Blvd., Suite 106
Euless, TX 76039

Phone: 682.428.3046
Email: info@abonelaw.com
Driving Directions:

While my address is Industrial Blvd, we are actually on Clinic Drive. Look for the tall red Super Value Pharmacy sign. Whether coming from the North or the South, you will turn off of Industrial Blvd. onto Clinic Dr. Our building is located up the hill just past the Super Value Pharmacy at the far end of the building.

Office Hours

Mon-Thurs8:30am-5:00pm
FriBy Appointment Only
Sat/SunClosed
Leave A Review
© 2023 The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, PLLC | A Website Design by Ahrens Technologies

DISCLAIMER: Material presented on The Law Offices of Antoinette Bone, PLLC website is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended as professsional advice and should not be construed as such. If you communicate with us through this site or otherwise in connection with a matter for which we do not already represent you, your communication may not be treated as privileged or confidential and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the firm. If you communicate with us by e-mail in connection with a matter for which we already represent you, please remember that Internet e-mail is not secure and you should avoid sending sensitive or confidential Internet e-mail messages unless they are adequately encrypted.