CONTENTS

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Overview
2. Recognizing Alcohol Misuse and Abuse in Older Adults
3. Alcohol and Aging
4. Diagnosing Alcohol Problems in Older Adults
5. Recognizing Other Forms of Substance Abuse
6. Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies
7. Treatment
8. Outcomes and Cost Issues in Alcohol Treatment for Older Adults
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Resources

At Any Age, It Does Matter:
Substance Abuse and Older Adults (for Professionals)

Making Referrals to Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

In some cases, the provider has persuaded the patient or client to try outpatient treatment and knows the director of an excellent program in the immediate area. Rather than simply picking up the phone and letting the director know he or she has referred the patient, he or she should consult the patient about the specific treatment facility. It may seem that consent to treatment is the same as consent to referral to a particular facility. However, it takes very little time to get the patient’s consent, demonstrates respect for the client or patient, and protects the provider if, say, the treatment program’s director is a relative or has some other connection to the client.