Older adults are increasingly drinking excessively and dying of alcohol-related deaths, and the problem has been compounded by ageism, stigma, a lack of interest from policymakers and health care providers and few age-appropriate treatment options, experts say. Only 25 percent of facilities surveyed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have programs that specialize in older adults. And only 11 percent of the facilities have those programs and accept Medicare, the insurance program for people 65 and older. The problem is poised to get worse as the population ages: By 2040, some 20.5 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 or older. But with fewer medical professionals specializing in geriatrics, and even fewer of those professionals specializing in addiction training, the U.S. is not prepared to treat this growing need, experts say.
Read the full article: Ageism, Stigma Hinders Response to Senior Alcohol Use Disorder //
Source: https://rollcall.com/2023/04/20/ageism-stigma-hinders-response-to-senior-alcohol-use-disorder