The Elderly Abuser: A Challenge for the Future

Abstract

This paper explores three basic questions: (1) Who is the elderly abuser and what are his drugs of abuse?, (2) How does he become identified by institutionalized treatment programs?, and (3) How do treatment programs respond? The data on which the conclusions are based were collected from 5500 older individuals who entered treatment during 1976. Findings led to the following conclusions: (1) The elderly abusing population is primarily white, male, and unemployed; (2) Alcohol is by far the principal substance of abuse; (3) Identification by treatment programs is usually initiated by the individual, his family or friends, or by social control agencies; and (4) the elderly abuser is seldom treated in a holistic manner. This research illuminates the lack of effective treatment modalities for the elderly substance abusing population.