According to the New York Times (7/9, Span), “as baby boomers have turned 65, the age at which they typically qualify for Medicare, substance use disorders among the older population have climbed steeply.” For instance, “a study of opioid use disorder in people over 65 enrolled in traditional Medicare” published in a research brief in the June 2021 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “showed a threefold increase in just five years – to 15.7 cases per 1,000 in 2018 from 4.6 cases per 1,000 in 2013.” Additionally, “fatal overdoses have…soared among seniors,” according to the findings of a research letter published online March 29 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Substance Abuse Is Climbing Among Seniors,”Paula Span, The New York Times, July 9, 2023