Substance Abuse Treatment for Older Adults in Private Centers

ABSTRACT

By 2020, an estimated 4.4 million older adults will require substance abuse treatment compared to 1.7 million in 2000–01. This study examined the availability of special services for older adults, adoption of recommended treatment approaches, and organizational characteristics of centers that offer special services. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with administrators and/or clinical directors from a nationally representative sample of 346 private treatment centers participating in the 2006–07 National Treatment Center Study. Results indicated that only 18% provided special services for older adults; age-specific recommendations were generally adopted; more older adult-specialty centers offered prescription drug addiction treatment, primary medical care, and housing assistance. The proportion of patients with Medicare payment predicted availability of special services. As more older adults will seek help with a myriad of substance use disorders (SUDs) over the next decade, treatment centers need to get ready for a plethora of challenges as well as unique opportunities for growth.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• organizations
• special services
• subgroups
• treatment adoption

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse grant R01DA13110, awarded to Paul M. Roman.A modified version of this paper was presented at the 2009 AMERSA National conference.

Notes

^a 2007 US Census Bureau (2008) estimates (Northeast = CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT; Midwest = IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, SD, WI; South = AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV; West = AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA).

^b Two-tailed two-proportions test.

*P < .05.

^a 0 = not at all to 5 = almost always.

^b Schonfeld and Dupree (1995) (12).

^c SAMHSA/CSAT (1998) (8).

^a Only “yes” responses are shown.

^b N = 63.

^c N = 283.

^d Represents only centers with prescription writing staff (48 special services centers and 157 nonspecialty centers).

^a US Census Bureau (2009) estimates (20).

**P < .01.