Older adults are increasingly drinking excessively and dying of alcohol-related deaths, and the problem has been compounded by ageism, stigma, a lack of interest from policymakers and health care providers and few age-appropriate treatment options, experts say.
“There is such a need to help this population,” said Nicole MacFarland, the executive director of Senior Hope Counseling, the only freestanding outpatient clinic in New York that exclusively treats people 50 and older. The nonprofit specializes in geriatric addiction, leading group sessions focused on trauma, finding purpose later in life, and other issues geared toward older adults. They also connect patients with local services and entitlement programs.
Programs like MacFarland’s are rare, despite evidence that age-specific treatment can be beneficial: Only 25 percent of facilities surveyed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have programs that specialize in older adults.
