Health Promotion
- Prevention
- Teach about negative effects
- Provide support
- Early detection
- Initiate brief interventional techniques
- Refer for treatment
Gerontologic Considerations
- Older adults are often unaware of their substance use problems
- Difficult to recognize
- Don’t fit the image of users
- Symptoms can mimic medical conditions i.e. liver damage and cardiovascular, GI, and endocrine problems
- Use may cause confusion, delirium, memory loss, and neuromuscular impairment
- At greater risk for medical problems associated with substance use
- Screening
- Use all information resources
- Discuss drug and alcohol use
- Assess current medication knowledge
- The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test – Geriatric Version
