The Elderly Are At-Risk for Prescription Drug Abuse

What can I do if my elderly loved one is struggling with prescription drug abuse? Millions of elderly Americans and Canadians are struggling with addiction to prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are rapidly becoming one of the biggest health epidemics, with millions of people getting addicted—often without meaning to. And it can be hard to know what to do when your elderly loved one is abusing prescription drugs. And prescription drugs can be deadly—almost half of all drug overdose fatalities involve prescription pills. But did you know that your elderly loved one is more at-risk for prescription drug abuse? Click here to learn more about drug addition rehab for seniors.

Elderly Are More At-Risk for Addiction

“There are physical, psychological and social factors that make elderly people more vulnerable to addiction,” said Angela Conway of South Miami Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center. And it’s true—elderly people are often on many prescription medications at once, which makes them particularly susceptible to prescription drug abuse. These drug can interact with each other in toxic ways, or leave a senior more vulnerable to their effects. And the Partnership for Drug Free Kids notes, “Between 1997 and 2008, the rate of hospital admissions for conditions related to prescription medications and illicit drug use rose by 96 percent among people ages 65 and 84; for people 85 and older, admissions grew 87 percent.” Click here to learn more about prescription drug addiction and seniors.

Prescription Drugs Are Becoming the Most Dangerous Class of Drugs

And this threat is definitely something to take seriously. Prescription pill abuse (often of prescription painkillers like Vicodin, OxyContin, or Percocet) is fast becoming one of the most popularly abused drugs, second only in popularity to marijuana. And this popularity is taking its toll: almost half of all drug-related overdose fatalities involve prescription medications in some way.

Elderly High Quality, Top Rehab in the Caribbean

Where can I go for senior rehab? You want your elderly loved one to be treated with the highest-quality care. At Serenity Vista, our high end rehab offers spa visits, weekly massages, a gym, and all the comforts you’d expect from luxury rehab. And it’s a great value, too—three months of luxury rehab with us costs roughly a third of what 30 days of basic rehab costs in the US or Canada!