Did you know that the older adult population is the largest and fastest-growing age demographic in the United States? Its proportion of the total US population is only expected to continue increasing, so additional services for this population are in constant demand. Furthermore, risky substance use is a health issue that often goes undetected especially among older populations. The symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD), such as slowed physical and mental capacities, present very similarly to the “symptoms” of normal aging. The prevalence of SUD’s in older adults will only increase as the older adult population increases.
That is why the Center for Recovery and Wellness (CRW) is excited to offer two prevention programs for older adults in the community which work together as preventative measures against SUD’s. WISE (The Wellness Initiative for Senior Education) is an educational program designed specifically for adults aged 60 and over, while SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) is a process by which individuals are screened for substance use and alcohol use disorders and is practiced with people of all ages.
“Both myself and Kelly Berenfeld facilitate WISE and SBIRT” said Daniel Lamport, Prevention and Wellness Educator. “However, Kelly will soon be transitioning to a different role at EA Prevention and Wellness, so I will be facilitating both by myself while we work on hiring a new person,” “We co-facilitate every WISE session, and we conduct SBIRT conversations as 1-on-1 dialogues between ourselves and our class participants.”
The WISE program covers a variety of topics that are important to the older adult community. Weeks 1 and 2 focus on the physical changes that a person experiences as they grow older. Week 3 emphasizes the importance of cultural and generational diversity, highlighting the value that this diversity can bring to the life of an older adult. Lesson 4 covers the risks associated with medication misuse and highlights strategies that can be employed to reduce the risk of medication misuse. Lesson 5 takes the conversation around medication misuse and applies it to alcohol and other substances, such as cannabis. Lastly, week 6 is a lesson in which class participants are encouraged to make commitments to an increased quality of life while reflecting on the conversations that have been had throughout the previous WISE sessions.
Once someone screens positively for a substance use disorder, the next step is what’s called a brief negotiated interview. During this conversation, the facilitator discusses a behavior that has been identified as a potential risk factor for the development of a substance use disorder. As Daniel explained, “let’s say hypothetically that I’m conducting SBIRT with someone who tells me that he drinks four cans of beer every night. This would then lead me to ask the individual more questions about his alcohol consumption. Does he ever drink other forms of alcohol, such as wine or hard liquor? What time of day does he usually drink? What does he like or dislike about drinking? I might endeavor to steer the conversation in a direction that invites the interviewee to offer up aspects of his behavior that he dislikes, thus opening the door for what we call “change talk”, a conversational framework by which we can discuss behavior change.”
“Facilitating these classes has been a wonderful experience so far!” Daniel said. “I have learned so much from our class participants, and I only hope that they have learned a fragment from me of what I have learned from them. Older adults speak to us from the perspective of having lived long, full and fulfilling lives. They’ve had a wealth of experiences from which they draw to inform the various aspects of their characters and their values. It is such a privilege to hold a space in which older adults can come together, socialize, learn from each other, and celebrate the wisdom that they have cultivated over the years of their lives.”
We talked to a couple of class participants to get their feedback and they shared a lot of positive feedback. “My experience has been very informative,” said Albina, who has been in the class for four weeks. “Alcohol is available so easily for the young and the old. I feel the information that was given to us today about alcohol was very important.” Albina equally enjoys how the class brings people together. “There are people answering questions and asking questions. That’s what I think is the best part of the program, that you can ask questions and you’re part of the group. The program is very good, very helpful, and I think it should be in a lot of centers.” Sandra, another participant in the class, said that ” I like participating and being asked to participate, to ask questions, and get involved. I like being involved in my health care and in my development as a growing senior.”
To learn more about our programs for older adults, please visit our website.