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URochester Medicine / Medicine / Geriatrics & Aging / Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center / Opioids & Older Adults

Older Adults & Opioids

Purpose

The Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center (FLGEC) at the University of Rochester is directly addressing the opioid epidemic for older adults and what it means for their families.  The FLGEC is working to:

  • Prepare health care professionals through regional health professionals workshops on opioid training that addresses prevention, assessment, management, and treatment in older adults
  • Develop outreach programs focused on opioid education for older adults and caregivers at Lifespan and at senior centers in Rochester, New York
  • Work in tandem with the Opioid Action Plan of Monroe County to coordinate regional data collection on opioid abuse in older adults, and provide education and overdose prevention efforts.

2026 Older Adults & Substance Use Webinar Series

Online Registration

A Look at Older Adults and Substance Use: Approaches to Care

  • Speakers: Mary Beth Morrissey, JD, PhD, MPH, CEO, Collaborative for Palliative Care and Ann Marie Foster, CEO, 
  • Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 12pm—1pm ET
  • This presentation will review current trends in substance use in older adults highlighted in the recent report by the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Substance Use.  Discussion will include how to identify signs of substance use disorder (SUD) in older adults, ways to reduce stigma, and list types of recovery services available.
  • View recording on YouTube

Aging Adults and Medication Use: Staying Safe by Making Informed Health Decisions

  • Speaker: Diana Padilla, MCPC, CTSS, CARC, Research Project Manager SBIRT Training, Technical Assistance and Implementation, Division of Substance Use Disorders, NYS Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center 
  • Date: Friday, February 6, 2026, 12pm—1pm ET
  • Pain management can be an immense challenge for older adults navigating through an array of health problems and prescription medications. Chronic pain can drive some people to also use substances like alcohol or marijuana, increasing the risk of drug interactions and worsening health issues. Effective prevention is key and includes education and safety coaching to help older adults make informed decisions regarding medications and their health. This presentation will review current trends of alcohol, cannabis and medication use and misuse among the older population, and stigmatic perceptions that impede preventive care. Content will further identify best practices when educating and empowering older adults to make sound lifestyle choices around chronic health conditions and their impacts.
  • View recording on YouTube

Older Adults and Opioids: Addressing Staff Grief and Burn Out

  • Speaker: Emma Louise Roberts, Founder, Awen Consulting Services
  • Date: Friday, March 6, 2026, 12pm—1pm ET
  • This session will explore the vicarious trauma, grief, and burnout experienced by workers supporting older adults who use opioids.  Ms. Roberts will identify opportunities for organizational and supervisory intentionality in addressing worker well-being as well as individual and team opportunities to support workforce resilience.

Adult Use Cannabis & Adverse Events: An Update from the Upstate New York Poison Center

  • Speaker: William Eggleston, PharmD, DABAT, Assistant Clinical Director, Upstate New York Poison Center, SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12pm—1pm ET
  • Cannabis use in New York and across the United States is rising. Although cannabis can be used safely by most adults, there are several risk factors that can lead to cannabis-related adverse effects. This presentation will describe cannabis use and trends in New York, discuss adverse events related to cannabis use, and identify risk factors for cannabis-related adverse events in older adults.

Opioid Overdose Prevention - Narcan Training

  • Speaker: Karley Copeland, Harm Reduction Educator, Wyoming County Health Department (NY)
  • Date: Friday, June 12, 2026, 12pm—1pm ET 
  • The opioid epidemic continues to exist, stressing the importance of early recognition of an individual experiencing an overdose. Having Narcan readily available and knowing how to use it can and will save lives. This presentation will review how the Good Samaritan Law and calling 911 for all overdoses impacts those administering Narcan and how reporting the use of Narcan provides important data to the State, which in turn can turn into increased funding to address this issue.

RECORDINGS - 2025 Older Adults & Opioids Webinar Series

Expanding Access to Treatment for Addiction Across New York State

  • Speaker: Chinazo Cunningham, MD, MS, Commissioner, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS) 
  • Date: January 24, 2025, 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET
  • This presentation will describe New York State’s priorities and approaches to addressing the epidemic, including unique aspects of addiction and services involving older adults.
  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/pQaQqoUDQ94

Older Adults with Substance Use Disorder/ Opioid Use Disorder: “Why Bother Treating Them?”

  • Speaker: Ramona Sharp, LMSW, Lifespan of Greater Rochester
  • Date: Tuesday February 11, 2025, 12pm—1pm ET
  • This presentation will look at opioid use disorder in older adults. It will cover demographic changes, ageism, myths around substance use disorders in older adults, and the three waves of opioid overdose deaths. It will provide information specific to Monroe County, New York.
  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/Jf6VZXj4yaw

Addressing Substance Use in Older Adults

  • Speakers: Ed Havlovic, CARC, RCP/F, and Wilvena Gordon, MS, Friends of Recovery—New York
  • Date: Friday March 7, 2025, 12pm—1pm ET
  • This workshop will address the paucity of attention to substance use disorder in adults over age 60, acknowledging the importance of routine screening by practitioners, especially when prescribing new medications. Anti-stigma in the form of person-centered language and increasing knowledge of addiction and recovery resources will be covered. Presenters will discuss the history and crisis of ageism in the misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis of substance use disorder in older adults.
  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/h7Lh3y29BY0

Tailored Approaches: Addressing Substance Use in Aging Adults with IDD

  • Speaker: Lori Ann Eldridge, PhD, LRT, CTRS, East Carolina University
  • Date: Wednesday April 23, 2025, 12pm—1pm ET
  • This presentation explores the intersection of substance use disorder (SUD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in aging adults. It will define key terms, review current research, and discuss the prevalence, risk factors, and complications of SUD in this population. The session will also examine barriers to prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, highlighting systemic challenges and the impact of stigma. Finally, practical strategies will be shared to improve access to care, including motivational interviewing, health literacy initiatives, and inclusive approaches to treatment.
  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/jmw2RUKAEx8

Opioid Overdose Prevention - Narcan Training

  • Speaker: Karley Copeland, Wyoming County Health Department (NY)
  • Date: Friday June 13, 2025
  • The opioid epidemic continues to exist, stressing the importance of early recognition of an individual experiencing an overdose. Having Narcan readily available and knowing how to use it can and will save lives. This presentation will review how the Good Samaritan Law and calling 911 for all overdoses impacts those administering Narcan and how reporting the use of Narcan provides important data to the State, which in turn can turn into increased funding to address this issue.
  • YouTube: https://youtu.be/OOP37rDBm2c

Resources

  • In October 2025, the New York State Bar Association's Task Force on Opioid Addiction published a report indicating that more New Yorkers died from drug overdoses in recent years while treatment centers reduced their capacity significantly. It is a dangerous trend that NYSBA recommends reversing for both inpatients and outpatients.This report provides clear recommendations for how New York State can tackle this issue with pragmatism and compassion.
  • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency that leads public health efforts to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. The Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series contributes to SAMHSA’s mission by providing science-based, best-practice guidance to the behavioral health field. TIPs refect careful consideration of all relevant clinical and health service research, demonstrated experience, and implementation requirements. The Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 26: Treating Substance Use Disorder in Older Adults, updated in 2020, is designed to help providers and others better understand how to identify, manage, and prevent substance misuse in older adults.
  • HHS Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics - In response to concerns that patients are being abruptly cut off of prescription opioids, the US DHHS announced this new guide yesterday. In light of the opioid crisis, providers have been responding to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to limit opioid prescribing, but rapid discontinuation can lead to opioid withdrawal and other problems for patients. The new guide seeks to balance effective pain management with risks of opioid addiction.
  • The Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has posted the protocol for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Opioids, Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder in Older Adults. The protocol is available at the Effective Healthcare Web site 
  • Managing Opioid Use in Long Term Services and Supports - created by the Utah Geriatrics Education Consortium, these eight interprofessional online modules for students, health care providers, and LTSS staff are centered around opioid use.  Each module takes about 20 minutes to complete and provides instructions on how to present the material to a group.
  • The Baystate GWEP created an interactive module on Opioid Use in Older Adults. Direct Care Workers and/or educators can sign up for an account on the Massachusetts Direct Care Worker website to take this course and receive a certificate https://madirectcare.com/.  Anyone can use this following link to view the interactive module.
  • The Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center (WNY R-AHEC), funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), provides educational initiatives in 12 rural counties in upstate New York.  The WNY R-AHEC offers the Opioid Prevention Education Project (OPEP) to expand training related to opioid diagnosis, use, treatment and prevention for current health professionals, future practitioners, and the general population in New York State. The Opioid Prevention Education Project focuses on two key components: (1) High School and College Student Awareness, and (2) Community Engagement and Outreach.  Find out more here: https://www.r-ahec.org/education/opep/
  • The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS) provides a comprehensive system of addiction services for prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery for all New Yorkers, including older adults.
  • Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Long Term Care (LTC) was created by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in response to data from 2019-2020 indicating Massachusetts was one of four US states with a significant increase in stimulant-related overdose deaths.  This toolkit will assist in caring for people with SUD in LTC settings.
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Peer to Peer Support is a free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery.  Find a location near you: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Peer-to-Peer

Screening Tools

Contact

To add resources to this list, or for any questions, contact Laura M. Robinson: email