In line with the current administration’s focus on opioid abuse, elder justice advocates are exploring the epidemic’s impact on older Americans. Often prescribed for non-cancer pain, many seniors have become psychologically and/or physically dependent on these highly addictive and expensive drugs. Reports of seniors’ prescriptions being stolen by caregivers, family members, or others for use or sale are common, leaving seniors without relief from their pain or embroiled in legal difficulties if prescriptions are used for illegal purposes. Other older adults are assuming primary care of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, or other children whose parents are incarcerated, in treatment, or otherwise unable to provide care as a result of opioid addiction or related problems.
These were among the issues described during a special hearing convened by the Elder Justice Coordinating Council last spring, According to Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services who addressed the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on June 5th 2018,
"We know that some older adults abuse opioids themselves and that many others also experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation by others as a result of opioid addiction. Across HHS, we're looking at approaches to help communities across our country that are suffering from addiction, including ways to support (Adult Protective Services) as they develop effective ways to prevent, detect and remediate the harm caused by opioid abuse"
These developments have elder advocates watching for new initiatives and funding opportunities to support opioid-related issues. CEJC’s Advocates Academy has compiled the following reports and resources to help them.
These were among the issues described during a special hearing convened by the Elder Justice Coordinating Council last spring, According to Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services who addressed the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on June 5th 2018,
"We know that some older adults abuse opioids themselves and that many others also experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation by others as a result of opioid addiction. Across HHS, we're looking at approaches to help communities across our country that are suffering from addiction, including ways to support (Adult Protective Services) as they develop effective ways to prevent, detect and remediate the harm caused by opioid abuse"
These developments have elder advocates watching for new initiatives and funding opportunities to support opioid-related issues. CEJC’s Advocates Academy has compiled the following reports and resources to help them.
Reports
Unseen Face of the Opioid Epidemic: Drug Abuse Among the Elderly Grows
This article from the Washington Post describes the elderly impacted the Opioid Crisis as the “unseen face” of the growing Opioid Crisis in America, and discusses the report from a Senate Special Panel on Aging that was convened on May 23rd 2018 to discuss opioid misuse by the elderly. The article states that opioid abuse doubled for persons over age 50 between 2002 and 2014. “Older Americans are among those unseen in this epidemic,” said Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.), the top Democrat on the panel. “In 2016, one in three people with a Medicare prescription drug plan received an opioid prescription. This puts baby boomers and our oldest generation at great risk.” “Unwittingly, Medicare compounds the epidemic by funding needed opioids that can be abused, but, generally, not funding the care and medicines needed to fight opioid addiction.” (Source: The Washington Post)
New AHRQ Reports Highlight Seniors’ Struggles with Opioids
“Nearly 125,000 hospitalizations among older Americans involved opioid-related diagnoses in 2015, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report that provides new insights into how one of the Nation’s most urgent public health problems is impacting the senior population.”
“Opioids’ Impact on Seniors. An additional report from AHRQ indicates that in 2015 and 2016, nearly 4 million seniors, on average, filled four or more opioid prescriptions. Nearly 10 million filled at least one opioid prescription in those years.”
Raising Awareness and Seeking Solutions to the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Rural Older Adults
This comprehensive report by William F. Benson and Nancy Aldrich of Health Benefits ABCs addresses the opioid crisis and focuses on the opioid crisis as it impacts rural communities and its impact on elder abuse.
Emergency Physician Identification of a Cluster of Elder Abuse in Nursing Home Residents
This article, from an emergency medical journal describes seven cases presented at a medical emergency room. All were determined to be elder abuse, one was fatal, and all from intentional opioid administration at a nursing home. The article also includes the importance of detection of elder abuse in emergency medical settings
Opioid Use in the Older Adult Population
This informational report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) outlines the use and abuse of opioids in the U.S. Senior population, and provides resources and references to other studies on the problem. According to this report, “The population of older adults who misuse opioids is projected to double from 2004 to 2020, from 1.2 percent to 2.4 percent” (Administration on Aging and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2012).
Opioid Crisis Takes a Toll on Rural Older Adults
This article outlines the opioid crisis, with a focus on rural older adults. The article provides information from several sources including a Grantmakers in America (GIA) report on “Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis-an Introduction for Funders”. It also cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to substantiate their assertion that more community-based programs and services are needed.
The Opioid Public Health Emergency and Older Adults
This summary from a discussion about the Opioid Public Health Emergency also offers a link to a brief on the subject, from the Administration for Community Living by Jane Tilly, DrPH; MPH, MSW; Sarah Ruiz, PhD, that discusses Opioid Use Disorder and its impacts on older adults.
Trends in Opioid Related Hospitalizations
This interactive map from the Agency for Healthcare research and Quality provides state-by-state information on Opioid related hospitalizations including the age groups with the highest rates of hospitalizations for opioid related hospitalizations, often seniors.
This article from the Washington Post describes the elderly impacted the Opioid Crisis as the “unseen face” of the growing Opioid Crisis in America, and discusses the report from a Senate Special Panel on Aging that was convened on May 23rd 2018 to discuss opioid misuse by the elderly. The article states that opioid abuse doubled for persons over age 50 between 2002 and 2014. “Older Americans are among those unseen in this epidemic,” said Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.), the top Democrat on the panel. “In 2016, one in three people with a Medicare prescription drug plan received an opioid prescription. This puts baby boomers and our oldest generation at great risk.” “Unwittingly, Medicare compounds the epidemic by funding needed opioids that can be abused, but, generally, not funding the care and medicines needed to fight opioid addiction.” (Source: The Washington Post)
New AHRQ Reports Highlight Seniors’ Struggles with Opioids
“Nearly 125,000 hospitalizations among older Americans involved opioid-related diagnoses in 2015, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report that provides new insights into how one of the Nation’s most urgent public health problems is impacting the senior population.”
“Opioids’ Impact on Seniors. An additional report from AHRQ indicates that in 2015 and 2016, nearly 4 million seniors, on average, filled four or more opioid prescriptions. Nearly 10 million filled at least one opioid prescription in those years.”
Raising Awareness and Seeking Solutions to the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Rural Older Adults
This comprehensive report by William F. Benson and Nancy Aldrich of Health Benefits ABCs addresses the opioid crisis and focuses on the opioid crisis as it impacts rural communities and its impact on elder abuse.
Emergency Physician Identification of a Cluster of Elder Abuse in Nursing Home Residents
This article, from an emergency medical journal describes seven cases presented at a medical emergency room. All were determined to be elder abuse, one was fatal, and all from intentional opioid administration at a nursing home. The article also includes the importance of detection of elder abuse in emergency medical settings
Opioid Use in the Older Adult Population
This informational report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) outlines the use and abuse of opioids in the U.S. Senior population, and provides resources and references to other studies on the problem. According to this report, “The population of older adults who misuse opioids is projected to double from 2004 to 2020, from 1.2 percent to 2.4 percent” (Administration on Aging and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2012).
Opioid Crisis Takes a Toll on Rural Older Adults
This article outlines the opioid crisis, with a focus on rural older adults. The article provides information from several sources including a Grantmakers in America (GIA) report on “Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis-an Introduction for Funders”. It also cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to substantiate their assertion that more community-based programs and services are needed.
The Opioid Public Health Emergency and Older Adults
This summary from a discussion about the Opioid Public Health Emergency also offers a link to a brief on the subject, from the Administration for Community Living by Jane Tilly, DrPH; MPH, MSW; Sarah Ruiz, PhD, that discusses Opioid Use Disorder and its impacts on older adults.
Trends in Opioid Related Hospitalizations
This interactive map from the Agency for Healthcare research and Quality provides state-by-state information on Opioid related hospitalizations including the age groups with the highest rates of hospitalizations for opioid related hospitalizations, often seniors.
Resources
Missouri’s APS Response to the Opioid Crisis
This article by the director of Missouri’s Division of Senior and Disability Services discusses the opioid crisis Missouri’s efforts to address how it was impacting Missouri seniors and persons with disabilities, and comments from front line staff on the impact of opioids on the clients that they serve.
Administration for Community Living - Opioids and Older Adults Fact Sheet
This Fact Sheet from the Administration for Community Living offers data and resources related to the Opioid Crisis for each state, including the age groups with the highest rate.
This article by the director of Missouri’s Division of Senior and Disability Services discusses the opioid crisis Missouri’s efforts to address how it was impacting Missouri seniors and persons with disabilities, and comments from front line staff on the impact of opioids on the clients that they serve.
Administration for Community Living - Opioids and Older Adults Fact Sheet
This Fact Sheet from the Administration for Community Living offers data and resources related to the Opioid Crisis for each state, including the age groups with the highest rate.
Promising Practices
AmeriCorps and Senior Corps Respond to Nation’s Opioid Epidemic
This article outlines the steps being taken by the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) to help combat the national opioid crisis. This article and accompanying Fact Sheet outline the CNCS plan to invest “more than $10.5 million in opioid-related AmeriCorps and Senior Corps projects to address the current epidemic. The federal investment supports 1,200 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members in more than 150 communities across 45 states. (From the CNCS Newsroom)
Opioid Abuse in Chronic Pain — Misconceptions and Mitigation Strategies
This article from the New England Journal of Medicine discusses: chronic pain not caused by cancer, the source of the opioid epidemic, why opioid medications are diverted and abused, opioid tolerance and physical dependence, and mitigation strategies.
This article outlines the steps being taken by the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) to help combat the national opioid crisis. This article and accompanying Fact Sheet outline the CNCS plan to invest “more than $10.5 million in opioid-related AmeriCorps and Senior Corps projects to address the current epidemic. The federal investment supports 1,200 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members in more than 150 communities across 45 states. (From the CNCS Newsroom)
Opioid Abuse in Chronic Pain — Misconceptions and Mitigation Strategies
This article from the New England Journal of Medicine discusses: chronic pain not caused by cancer, the source of the opioid epidemic, why opioid medications are diverted and abused, opioid tolerance and physical dependence, and mitigation strategies.