Opioid-related ER visits among adults 65 and older more than doubled between 2006 and 2014.
Opioid abuse has risen dramatically over the past 20 years and a recent survey from the National Council on Aging paints an alarming picture of how older adults are affected.
“It’s clearly a health issue for those older adults who are dealing with the crisis themselves because they may be addicted to opioids,” said Anna Maria Chávez, NCOA’s executive vice president and chief growth officer. “But the other side of the story is the fact that, just like many communities across the country, older adults are being financially impacted because they are having to take on a situation [child care of their grandkids] that they were unprepared to manage.
“It’s a financial security issue, it’s a mental health issue, it could potentially be an employment issue because more and more older adults are having to work past 65 to make ends meet,” Chávez says. “These are individuals living on Social Security who are one fall away from draining their financial resources. Now they are struggling with how to pay for childcare.”
Shift in opioid drug formularies backfired How did we get to this point? Carter says there was a shift in doctor-prescribed opioids that occurred in the 1990s. At the time, short-acting opioids were becoming problematic, so pharmaceutical companies changed opioid formularies to be time-release and longer-acting.
“At any given time, 30% of the population is experiencing chronic pain, which means they’ve been in pain and they’ve had that pain for more than three months. For older adults the number is closer to 40% or 50%,” writes neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin in his recently published book “Successful Aging.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Patricia Heaton Explores Her Empty Nest and Finding New Purpose in New Book, Your Second Act'Life wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter by any stretch,' the star tells PEOPLE. 'I've worked hard, skinned my knees, [and] cried my eyes out.'
Read more »
All About Ivy Queen's Metamorphosis: New Music, New Tour & Her Now-Popular Fashion StatementOn this week’s El Factor Latino podcast, Billboard Latin editors Leila Cobo and Suzette Fernández had a deep conversation with Puerto Rican urban singer Ivy Queen about her new single “Un Baile Más,” her first-ever U.S. tour and her musical metamorphosis, which has inspired other singers like Paloma Mami to pursue a career in urban music.
Read more »
‘New Amsterdam’ Creator David Schulner Inks Big New Overall Deal With Universal TelevisionOn the heels of New Amsterdam landing a massive three-season renewal by NBC, the studio behind the medical drama, Universal Television, has signed creator/executive producer David Schulner into a b…
Read more »
New York City unveils new postpartum checks and home visits for 1st-time parentsBig maternal health changes are coming to New York City as officials announced that home visiting will be offered to new parents, from prenatal to postnatal stages.
Read more »
Everything You Need to Know About New York Fashion Week 2020Including how the Oscars have affected the lineup — and how to live stream your favorite designer's shows.
Read more »
New York charges NRA over illegal insurance sales, deceiving membersNew York's financial regulator on Wednesday filed civil charges accusing th...
Read more »