Improving quality of life for seniors and elderly adults with substance abuse problems throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Somerset and Union Counties in New Jersey.

Up to this point, society viewed addiction and substance abuse as primarily a young person’s affliction. However, a whole generation of younger people is aging out and bringing their habits and attitudes about drugs and addictions with them. As baby boomers enter the golden years, their exposure to alcohol and drugs as youngsters makes them more open to them now.

According to the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), this hidden national epidemic is prevalent in those aged 60 and older. As a result, many organizations have new guidelines for doctors and health professionals to screen each and every patient for alcohol and drug abuse.

National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions has data showing that one in five people over 65 have had a substance or alcohol abuse problem at some point in their lives. The substances of choice were alcohol and tobacco.

Opioids are prescribed for pain, but due to their high acclimation effect, higher and higher doses are needed to get the same result. Doctors, given specious information from drug companies and largely untrained in pain management, prescribe them again and again in a naive attempt to improve quality of life. Furthermore, patients are not educated in alternative methods.

There are a number of factors that make the elderly in general and today’s aging baby boomers specifically more susceptible to becoming addicts.

There are two types of elderly abusers. OASAS calls these groups:

Women, who generally live longer, are more likely to fall prey to substance abuse later in life. Alcohol is usually the drug of choice, but prescription medications rank just below that. Many of these prescription drugs include opiates for pain relief for diseases like arthritis and sedatives for anxiety and sleep disorders.

The elderly use so many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that their adverse interactions with alcohol or narcotics could be disastrous. Because the way we metabolize alcohol and drugs as we age changes, it actually takes much less alcohol for the elderly to become intoxicated. This leads to a greater risk for impaired cognitive functioning, depression and general confusion. They may even become so confused that they take extra doses of medication resulting in overdose or death.

Already compromised in many seniors, brain cells essential for memory, thinking and decision-making are destroyed with substance abuse. Furthermore, being sedated by drugs or alcohol combined with its cumulative effects increases the risk of falls and serious fractures to the elderly which are often accompanied by fatal complications.

It is difficult to tease out the symptoms of substance abuse since they mimic many of the common signs of aging. It is recommended to watch out for:

Many doctors and professionals are reluctant to confront elderly substance abuse since they prescribe to the adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” However, the elderly are highly motivated to sober up since they know it can threaten their independence in addition to exacerbate their declining cognitive and physical abilities. Furthermore, early evidence supports the finding that baby boomers are more amenable to recovery since they don’t carry the shame of addiction of previous generations.

Here are some preventive tips:

Detox for seniors is difficult and needs to be done slowly and with a lot of monitoring. Also, cognitive and physical issues can slow detox treatments down. However, once completed, patients can return to living normal lives, without the debilitating effects of prescription addiction.

In-Home Caregivers for Seniors Recovering from Substance Abuse

After rehab, more and more substance abusers are opting for care in the comfortable surroundings of their home. This is especially the case for the elderly who are often too frail to be moved successfully. David York Agency in-home care providers are able to focus specifically on providing relief involved with substance abuse issues. They are monitored by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who understand how to treat the specific requirements of these patients and improve the quality of the remaining years of life.

Our aides are well trained and carefully monitored by our nurses who develop a care plan for the patient in conjunction with the patient’s other health professionals and family. Our nurse trains them in the special issues related to stroke recovery. When home healthcare becomes necessary, David York Agency provides skilled home health aide services for the elderly and infirm in their home. A nurse is always available and would be happy to discuss your case with you.

No matter what level of service you need, we’re available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Sometimes the cost of the services can be covered by private medical insurance or Medicare depending on the physician’s orders. Often long term care insurance will pay for a home health aide when the patient is unable to perform activities of daily living.

In-Home Assistance for Seniors with Substance Abuse Problems

When you are faced with the challenge of finding the best in-home care provider in northern New Jersey to help care for the emotional and physical well-being of someone you love, maybe your mom or dad, you will want to be confident that you are making the right choice.

At David York Home Healthcare Agency, extraordinary service is what sets us apart from other companies who provide in home health care services. Whatever your care needs, we are there for you, always striving to exceed your expectations.

We provide our home care, senior care, dementia care and specialized in-home care services throughout the northern New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Somerset and Union, including the towns of Franklin Lakes, Paramus, Ridgewood, Livingston, Verona, Secaucus, Morristown, Berkeley Heights, Cranford and Springfield. For a complete list of areas where we provide in-home care and support services for seniors, elderly adults and people of all ages, please visit our Service Areas page.