No abstract

No abstract

A surprising number of elderly people suffer from substance-related disorders. Many more are at risk for developing polydrug problems due to their misuse and abuse of alcohol in combination with prescription medications and over-the-counter preparations. The purpose of this article is to update social workers on advances in geriatric addictionology by reviewing current epidemiological studies and extracting practice principles. Particular emphasis is placed on what the social work practitioner needs to know about screening elderly clients for substance abuse.

The authors studied the perceived effectiveness of 200 natural helpers in two geographic regions of the United States. Results indicated that helper effectiveness was associated with helper gender, age, relationships, problem type, and helping style. Clinicians and helpers agreed that the help was effective.