URMC / 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.

RESOURCES

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 or here as a pdf.
Managing Opioid Use in Long Term Services and Supports - created by the Utah Geriatric Education Consortium, these 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 instruction 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. See the report here.
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

MAST-G: The MAST-G (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test - Geriatric Version) varies from the MAST in that the questions highlight the special employment and social situations of someone who is retired and how that can relate to alcohol abuse. The tool consists of 24 questions. MAST-G
AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. AUDIT

2025 Older Adults & Opioids Webinar Series

Registration: Online Registration

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.

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.

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.

Social Determinants of Mental Health and Substance Use

Speaker: Brady J. Heward, MD, University of Vermont
Date: Wednesday April 9, 2025, 12pm—1pm ET
This presentation will define social and structural determinants of health and discuss how social determinants lead to inequity in health, healthcare, and outcomes. Discussion will also identify ways that social determinants impact substance use and treatment with a focus on older adults.

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.

Registration Flyer: 2025 Flyer

Contact

Laura M. Robinson: email