When people consider drug misuse, substance abuse in older adults typically isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. However, according to a study cited by the American Psychological Association in 2025, as many as 1 in 11 adults over the age of 60 struggled with some form of substance abuse. While drug misuse is often conflated with other concerns, such as criminal backgrounds or homelessness, it can also be found in your grandparents’ and elderly relatives’ homes.
Not Your Typical Drug Addict
Medicines for older people often address health issues that are less common in their younger counterparts. That’s because while age can offer experience and wisdom, it can also come with emotionally triggering events, such as the loss of a spouse, retirement from a lifelong career or family leaving the proverbial nest.
Health care providers commonly prescribe a range of medications to older adults, including depression medications, painkillers to alleviate body aches and anxiety medications to help those facing serious medical procedures. While intended to help those struggling with life changes, prescribing those medications can also lead to widespread abuse in older patients. In a 2022 report from the Association of Health Care Journalists, a shocking 28% of 2.2 million Americans aged 50 and up reported involvement in prescription drug abuse.
Unique Risk Factors for the Elderly
As a demographic group, older adults in America have several concerns that increase the likelihood of substance abuse in the elderly.
- Generational homes (multiple generations of family under the same roof) are less common in America, ultimately leading to less oversight by loved ones.
- Elderly individuals may be on fixed incomes or have limited transportation options, leading to requesting or receiving multi-month refills of certain medications.
- Confusion or age-related cognitive issues may affect their ability to take the specified dosage at the correct times, leading to accidental medicine abuse.
- Vision issues, such as macular degeneration, may prevent them from correctly reading medicine bottles or doctors’ orders.
- They may live with one or several other elderly patients and mix up medications by mistake.
- The sensibilities of their generation may pressure them to avoid talking about issues of addiction or the reasons that drove them to abuse their medications.
Substance Abuse in Older Adults: Misused Medications
According to a 2022 article by the National Library of Medicine, the most commonly abused prescription drugs among seniors were benzodiazepines, typically used for anxiety or sleep problems, and opiates, prescribed primarily for pain management. While the occasional use of either prescribed medication is reasonable, ongoing use can lead to chemical and psychological dependency and ultimately addiction. Once again, these medicines aren’t what typically come to mind when people think of “old people drugs,” so unsuspecting loved ones are more likely to miss warning signs.
Signs of Misuse
Barring other age-related considerations such as dementia, severe personality changes are one of the most visible signs of potential misuse. Irritability, becoming withdrawn or moody or avoiding normal visits and outings are red-flag behaviors. Older adults struggling with addiction may become protective or guarded over their medications as well, growing angry when asked or confronted about quantities or the amount of time between refills. Additionally, substance abuse in older adults can manifest as looking “spaced out” or displaying persistent inattentive behaviors.
Signs of Drug Misuse in the Elderly
The older a person is, the more difficult it can be to determine if they’re misusing prescription or illegal drugs. Additionally, they may be sensitive upon confrontation due to their pride and secrecy, often a product of their generation’s beliefs. They may feel like they’re being infantilized, which in turn could cause resentment. No adult wants to feel like their child is parenting them, and confronting an elderly person about drug use can be one of those situations.
If you suspect an elderly person may be abusing drugs, the easiest way to investigate is by becoming more involved in their medication regimen. This may involve accompanying them to their medical appointments, offering to pick up their prescriptions to track fill frequency or even discreetly counting and tracking their pills at home.
Hidden Dangers of Prescription Pills
In medical care, particularly in older patients, a single prescribed medicine is seldom taken by itself. Whether it’s other prescriptions, supplements or over-the-counter pills such as headache medicines, each additional substance is a potential problem. Certain chemical interactions can cause severe side effects, including death, so it’s important to keep track of all medicines and supplements, as well as how they’re tolerated.
Some mistaken beliefs about medications, such as doubling up on a missed dose or taking more than prescribed for a persistent symptom, seem logical at a glance. However, both of these count as misuse and can land an elderly patient in the hospital with reactions or eventually lead to substance abuse in older adults.
How to Help
Awareness and education are paramount. Elderly individuals who aren’t capable of taking their meds correctly on their own should have their medications monitored. Someone needs to speak to them directly about the dangers prescription medication poses and about keeping themselves safe.
If necessary and possible, attending doctor visits with an elderly patient can be a great way to speak with the provider and have a clear understanding of the individual’s condition and treatment plan. People often leave doctors’ offices feeling confused. Having another set of eyes and ears in the office can help clarify misunderstandings.
If you suspect an elderly person in your life may be misusing their drugs, the best thing you can do is have a genuine conversation with them. The more you can get them to open up, the better. Older adults often may not even recognize they have a problem until it’s too late.
If you believe your loved one has a drug misuse problem, talk to them about getting help. Older adults can be more resistant to this idea, but many options are available that can work for people of any age.
Getting Help for Elderly Loved Ones’ Addiction
If you suspect an older loved one may be struggling with prescription medication addiction, you aren’t alone. Contact our caring team today, and make an appointment with FHE Health to help your loved one.
