Drug and Substance Abuse Among Older Adults provides a timely, comprehensive overview and analysis of the silent epidemic of drug and substance abuse involving elderly Americans. Combining the authors’ individual 50-plus years of formal academic and clinical experience, the book presents a critical reflective analysis and synthesis of the published research associated with older adult psychotropic drug use and abuse in the United Sates. Chapters delineate related causes and consequences and provide the reader with guidance on how to minimize and effectively deal with this significant and growing problem. Related professional reminders throughout each chapter emphasize and remind readers of important basic content and principles, while common misbeliefs regarding specific abusable psychotropics and their use by older adults are debunked and corrected. Also included are carefully developed figures and tables to supplement chapter content along with explicit guides and tools to facilitate the assessment and diagnosis of abusable psychotropic dependence or use disorder. Health and social care professionals in the U.S. will learn to assess and diagnose abusable psychotropic dependence or use disorders among older adults and to provide clients quickly and accurately with appropriate, efficacious, and empirically validated treatment.

787 references primarily to journal articles and books published between 1932 and the present (greatest documentation from 1960's on). Topical arrangement. Each entry gives bibliographical information and annotation, and descriptors. Journal, author, and subject indexes.

Evidence from both local and national surveys suggests that substance misuse and abuse among older adults in the United States is a "hidden epidemic" that poses a major threat to the welfare and quality of life of older drinkers and their families, and has significant public health implications. Based on their findings from a 10-year, NIH-funded study of retirement, aging, and substance misuse, Peter Bamberger and Samuel Bacharach examine the complex web of factors contributing to the precipitation and exacerbation of substance problems among older adults. They discuss the individual and public health implications of such problems, as well as some of the evidence-based steps that may be taken to prevent their emergence and help those in need of assistance for policy-makers and health practitioners. This book provides a single-source review of the latest research assessing the magnitude and costs of older-adult substance abuse, as well as detailed analysis of the epidemiology of older-adult substance abuse. The authors provide an analysis of the efficacy of alternative prevention and treatment strategies, and present scientific evidence in a user-friendly format, highlighting extensive interview data to accompany their statistical results. The illustrations offered by these real life cases not only provide a sense of richness and understanding to a complex issue, but also offer a fitting reminder to the reader that this is an issue affecting people we know and families like our own.

Substance use and addiction is an increasing problem amongst older people. The identification of this problem is often more difficult in older patients and is frequently missed, particularly in the primary care context and in emergency departments, but also in a range of medical and psychiatric specialties. Substance Use and Older People shows how to recognise and treat substance problems in older patients. However, it goes well beyond assessment and diagnosis by incorporating up-to-date evidence on the management of those older people who are presenting with chronic complex disorders, which result from the problematic use of alcohol, inappropriate prescribed or over the counter medications, tobacco, or other drugs. It also examines a variety of biological and psychosocial approaches to the understanding of these issues in the older population and offers recommendations for policy. Substance Use and Older People is a valuable resource for geriatricians, old age psychiatrists, addiction psychiatrists, primary care physicians, and gerontologists as well as policy makers, researchers, and educators. It is also relevant for residents and fellows training in geriatrics or geri-psychiatry, general practitioners and nursing home physicians.

This book provides a current perspective on alcohol and aging to better understand the trends, costs, benefits, and clinical and community evidenced-based strategies. This book embraces not only the physical, cognitive, psychological, and social health benefits of moderate drinking in the elderly, it also delves into the risks of excessive drinking, including physical and psychiatric morbidity, neurodegeneration, medication complications, and accidents and injuries, and loss of independence. Written by experts in the field, this book is the only current text that includes the most current scientific, research, empirical, and practice information alongside a comprehensive review of the status of the field that will help guide alcohol use management and stimulate future research. Alcohol and Aging is the ultimate resource for all researchers, educators, clinicians, and professionals working with older adults who drink.