Drug problems afflict seniors

Grandma may look serene as she dozes in her rocking chair, but her drowsiness could be a side-effect of something other than old age.

Apparent tranquility could actually be lethargy brought on by her taking the wrong medications, by her improperly mixing prescriptions, by her aging body's inability to metabolize the drugs or by alcohol abuse.

National research on senior citizen health suggests that 17 percent of adults age 60 and older misuse or abuse prescription drugs, over-the-counter medication and/or alcohol.

While the percentage might not seem high, experts on aging and substance abuse are warning that drug awareness among the elderly — the most medicated age group — is largely undetected and spreading in large part because of the elderly themselves and unaware medical health providers.

In Utah, there is blunt acknowledgement that little has been done to understand, track or even tackle the problem of senior drug misuse and abuse on a wide scale.

"The field is trying to catch up with the demand," said Barbara Sullivan, associate director of the Utah Addiction Center. "It is a new frontier because we have not had that many senior citizens seeking treatment."

Statistics compiled by the state Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse show few admissions to drug addiction treatment centers of people age 66 and over.

While Utahns between 26 and 35 years old are most likely to seek such treatment — there were 5,155 treatment admissions in 2003 in that age group — the number dwindles to just 47 admissions for those older than 66.

Experts agree the low number isn't an indication of a small problem but more likely the result of a number of other factors — people "aging" out of their addiction, the system being dominated by criminal justice referrals, addiction being a largely unrecognized and therefore largely unreported problem in the senior population.

What those numbers ultimately reveal to Sullivan is a dearth of information on how to treat senior addicts.

"I am not sure there is much expertise out there on what type of treatment we need to provide senior citizens," she said. "It is an area where substance abuse professionals need to become more proficient. . . . We really don't have those kind of services available."

Aging and substance abuse professionals in Utah do predict that as the coming proliferation of baby boomers embrace their so-called golden years, the need to offer treatment to older adults will escalate.