Drug abuse and addiction prevalence rates
Discuss About The Drug Addiction Among Senior Citizens In Australia.
According to Selvanathan, (2017) drug and substance abuse especially alcohol and tobacco has for so long been one of the major problems affecting senior citizens in Australia. Drug abuse and addiction however extends to cover several other drugs both medicinal and non-medicinal. Among the medicinal drugs commonly abused are parecetamols and pain killers among other common over the counter drugs. Drug abuse have profound effects on the lives and the health of these senior citizens depending on the level of addiction and other co morbidities that affect their health. This paper focuses on the drug addiction menace, the social determinants of drug abuse and some of the ways drug abuse can be minimized by addressing some of the social determinants and the stakeholders who should address the problem.
About seven out of every ten senior citizens are said to abuse a certain drug either tobacco or alcohol. This is almost equivalent to the prevalence rates of lifestyle disorders among these senior citizens. Research has proven the 80 percent of senior citizens are living with a chronic condition and about 60 percent are living with at least two chronic conditions. These conditions include diabetes, various types of cancer, cardiac diseases, kidney and renal failure among other diseases. Drug abuse has been labeled as one of the co morbidities for these diseases and also one of the risk factors. Drug abuse has been common among males as opposed to females of similar ages. This has considerably led to more drug abuse related problems among males as opposed to females. This has in turn decreased the life expectancy among senior citizens in Australia as compared to that of the females argues McMillen, (2014).
Stewart, & Wild, (2017) argues that cancer remains the biggest cause of deaths among the senior citizens in Australia. The most common cancers include oral cancer, throat and lung cancer. Cancer is mainly caused by tobacco which is either smoked chewed or sniffed. Apart from cancer, tobacco has other adverse effects such as dryness of the mouth, painful swallowing, discoloration of teeth and other oral health problems. Alcohol consumption on the other hand is mainly known to cause liver failure and or liver cirrhosis. This is because the liver is the organ that is directly involved in detoxification of alcohol. In this respect, the liver gets worn out and sometimes severely to an extent that it impairs the functions of the liver.
Risks associated with drug abuse
Older people are at a higher risk of developing diseases or even death due to drug abuse and addictions due to several factors. To begin with, old people have weaker metabolism and may fail to metabolize alcohol and other drugs as compared to a younger person abusing a similar amount of the same drug. The effect from the drug is also increasingly dangerous as the old are more vulnerable to falls and fractures which may take longer time to heal. For the case of wounds, older people may also take longer to heal due to the frailty of the skin Degenhardt, et al (2017).
Due to various chronic conditions, senior citizens may be taking various medications. These medications are likely to have adverse effects with the drugs. A common cause of death due to the effect of alcohol on medicinal drugs is increased hemorrhage caused by reaction of alcohol with certain medicinal drugs. Other drugs may not cause death but may also trigger allergic reactions that may be equally dangerous to the body immunity (Pillans, et al (2017).
Drug abuse among senior citizens living with certain chronic conditions worsen the state of these conditions. The mainly affected disorders are cancer, cardiac diseases and diabetes. Alcohol and tobacco for instance are known carcinogens and apart from causing cancer, they also accelerate growth of cancerous cells in the body. Due to abuse of medicinal drugs, some senior citizens have developed tolerance to the drugs. This have made some drugs ineffective. This has made it difficult for health workers to prescribe medicines to these people due to these effects argues Nicholas, et al (2015).
Berends, Ritter, & Chalmers, (2016) among the social determinants of drug abuse among senior citizens in Australia include education and literacy levels, social economic status, physiological status; for instance people with certain terminal illnesses may abuse drugs to minimize the effect of their conditions, social cognitive status such as having stress or depression has made some people abuse drugs. Finally, drug addiction and having a lifestyle that is used to drug abuse has also resulted in drug abuse among citizens who are above 65 years of age. Positive factors such as retirement and completion of parental roles where children have been brought up and have left the homes also prompts these citizens engage in drug abuse.
Drug use is subject to strict instruction from the pharmacist or the manufacturers. For medicines, an individual will have to follow their pharmacist instructions. Patient education is crucial in ensuring the correct drug use without abuse (Bonevski, et al 2014). Some of the old people have inadequate education concerning drug use. They might be advised on how they can use the drugs or even have the instructions written on the drug containers. Their adherence to the instructions is a subject to their level education. Some may not be able to differentiate different types of drugs when they cannot read their names correctly. This surmounts to drug abuse.
Social determinants of drug abuse and addiction among senior citizens in Australia
In the use of other drugs such as alcohol and tobacco the situation is the same. Alcohol and tobacco are among the most significant health problems that the Australian government has made an effort to eradicate. Various reports have led to formulation of strategies to lower their level of usage as they have a great bearing on the health of individuals. Similarly, among the old the situation is the same. Lack of knowledge about the health impacts of these drugs has led to the persistent abuse. Some of them know of the health effects but cannot fully internalize the overall health effects. This has consequently led to chronic drug abuse (Ritter, Lancaster, & Diprose, 2018).
The level of education also influences the kind of lifestyle that people living in Australia adopt. People with less education often fail to adhere to standards of quality living and are more likely to engage in drugs abuse. However, the culture still plays a significant role where the traditional cultures encourage laxity and moderate drug use. The level of education may also influence which type of drug a person is most likely to abuse with most educated people abusing tobacco unlike the uneducated who mainly abuse cannabis.
According to Kelly, Davis, & Schlesinger, (2015) the level of income is a major determinant of the kind of lifestyle one leads. There is an association between the level of income and drug abuse. The UN has categorized poverty as both as absolute and overall. In 1995, the UN drew the poverty line as an income of below one dollar per day. Quite a large number of people fit into this category. They are below the poverty line. Some of the senior citizens are deep in poverty (Foxcroft, Ireland, Lowe, & Breen, (2018, April).
A major problem among the old is comorbidity. This requires them to use a wide range of medicines which are very expensive to secure. This is a very tempting situation as they may end up using some drugs for a purpose it is not intended. For example, someone with arthritis may abuse pain killers in an attempt to alleviate the pain. They may fail to use drug modifying anti rheumatic agent which they may not afford. This precipitates a continuous drugs abuse. Some will even self-prescribe some drugs since they cannot afford the expense of visiting a hospital.
Mons, et al (2015) argues that drug abuse is associated with some level of euphoria. They feel relaxed and relieved of their problems in the society. Most people in poverty try to find solace through this means. Alcohol has been frequently abused for this purposes. With a large number of poor old people with no source of income or pension drug abuse becomes inevitable in the circumstance.
Education and literacy levels
The old encounter many physiological changes. Most of their systems are failing. Their digestive systems and excretion systems experience quite some changes that affect their effectiveness and efficiency. The rates of drug absorption into the body may be altered. In the GIT, the absorption may be decreased. The effects of the drugs may be reduced and to achieve better results, thy may opt to alter the dosages which may result drug abuse (Larance, et al (2016).
The body drug excretion and elimination method is also altered. The processes of drug detoxification in the liver may be reduced with age. Decrease in production of drug binding proteins and conjugation molecules. The renal system may have decreased function with reduced glomerular filtration. In prescribing drugs, these factors should be put into consideration in order to adjust the doses. Otherwise, it may result in high levels of drugs in the body which may end up being harmful. They may abuse drugs in this way though they may not have an idea.
Decreased function of various medicinal drugs in the body may also make the senior citizens to purchase medicines that are not prescribed by the doctor. In some cases, older people who use alcohol frequently may tend to use it even more to try to help improve their conditions. When this continues over a long period of time, addiction develops and even if the patient recovers from the illness, it is still very hard to stop the drinking habit. The addiction ends up having adverse effects in the physiological functioning of the body by impairing various homeostatic functions in the body.
The mental health condition of many people seem to deteriorate as they age. This is due to reduced cognitive abilities characterized by loss of memory, decrease in fluid intelligence among other characteristics. In certain cases there are actual mental health illnesses. Some of these illnesses are caused by psychological disturbances such as stress, neglect and depression. It is a common phenomenon to find old couples isolated in their homes since their children and their significant others have moved out to start new homes.
According to Kolind, Thom, & Hunt, (2016) the loneliness if combined with other social problems such as poverty contributes to stress. Stress has adverse effects and it is common to find many stressed people trying to find solace in drug abuse. Drug use and misuse develops into various complications and adverse effects to the health of the individual. One of the greatest solutions to the problem of neglect have been putting old people in care homes where they can socialize and create efficient relationships that help to reduce the loneliness that creeps among the elderly.
Social economic status
According to Weinberger, Funk, & Goodwin, (2016) in order to solve and help reduce the prevalence rates of drug abuse among senior citizens in Australia, several measures have to be put forward. These measures must however be aimed at solving the social determinants of drug abuse to help achieve positive outcomes in the war against drug abuse, there are several stakeholders that need to combine efforts with the government in order to ensure reduction of drugs among senior citizens to help them better their lives. Nurses and doctors have a primary role especially for patients who are abusing drugs and they are living with a terminal illness. The patients need to be advised when they attend the various care centers. This can be done through the Nurses and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Nurses can however not be left to tackle the issue alone so other efforts from non-governmental organizations, government and even the society should also be involved in dealing with the menace. It is therefore necessary to include the efforts of Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF).
The Alcohol and drug foundation, formerly known as Australian Drug Foundation is a non-government and not for profit organization based in Australia. The organization focuses on drug abuse, demand reduction and prevention of drug addiction of both medicinal and non-medicinal drugs Fraser, valentine, & Seear, (2018). The main aim of the organization is to mobilize people to make a drug free society and a culture that disregards drug abuse and addiction in order to improve the quality of life that is devoid of drug related problems. ADF therefore uses various ways to come up with strategies that helps to fight dug misuse among Australians.
According Erskine, et al (2015) the ADF is an organization that is primarily funded by the Australian government. ADF’s main role is to tackle drug abuse especially among sports men and women. However, ADF can also be utilized to also tackle drugs among senior citizens so as to limit drug use and drug demand among these senior citizens. The ADF needs to work hand in hand with nurse and other primary care givers in order to ensure a drug free society by reducing alcohol and tobacco abuse among the senior citizens and drug demand.in the past, ADF has employed various strategies to fight with drug abuse. Some of these strategies includes conducting research on drug use and effects and making the information available through the media and the press. ADF also forms community support programmes that help people in the communities to reduce drug use in order to live healthier lives.
Some of the various ways ADF can help to reduce drug abuse among the senior citizens is limiting drug abuse among the young to reduce addiction at older age. ADF may also enhance and support formation of policies that keep old people occupied such as keeping them in care homes and giving them various activities to carry out to keep them occupied. Apart from research, ADF may also make efforts to sensitize the community on helping the senior citizens to solve some of their social and psychological problems to prevent them from overusing drugs. For those with very critical conditions, strict care should also be provided in order to see to it that they don’t take drugs contrary to the prescription of the health officers (Spivakovsky, Seear, & Carter, 2018).
Draper, et al (2015) explains how drug demand and usage among senior citizens can be minimized by addressing the social determinants as indicated above. For people living with certain health conditions, nurses and other primary care givers such as community health workers should be involved in advising and educating the senior citizens on the various effects that drug abuse may cause to their health such as deterioration or even early deaths. These care providers should be able to recommend these people to specialized care centers for treatment of various conditions such as palliative care centers for people in pain as opposed to buying pain killers over the counter or taking alcohol to minimize the effects of the condition (World Health Organization, & World Health Organization. Management of Substance Abuse Unit. 2014).
For cases of addiction, primary health care providers are also required to recommend rehabilitation centers in order to reduce drug demand, drug use and drug supply among these senior citizens. Relevant education on the various drugs for people who abuse drugs due to low literacy levels on how they can reduce drugs in their lives is also important. The mental health of the elderly may deteriorate with age. Some of the key contributors to the worsening mental health include an increased loss of memory, the creation of an empty nest. An empty nest is where these people have finished their parenting roles and now the children who had earlier made the homes vibrant are out in jobs and living with their partners. These old couples often feel depressed and left out since their health also deteriorates with age. There is also limited activities that these people can perform by themselves. Such people can also be educated on various ways on how they can solve some of the social cognitive conditions such as stress or depression without abusing drugs argues Roxburgh, Lea, de Wit, & Degenhardt, (2016).
Old people with low social economic status can best be addressed by the government by passing laws that make it mandatory for all employers to give pension and retirement benefits to their workers and efficiency of the national social security fund in paying pensions to the workers. The government may also set aside other funds to cater for the elderly in a bid to improve their welfare taking into consideration the various challenges these people go through due to their reduced immunity to fight diseases. Government and other organizations may also launch nationwide campaigns to help the senior citizens in order to improve their socio economic statuses.
Conclusion
Drug abuse and addiction ia a major challenge affecting senior citizens in Australia. The drug menace is more risky for individuals living with various chronic illnesses due to the reaction of these drugs with medication drugs and worsening of their health conditions holds Jayne, & Valentine, (2016). Some of the social determinants of drug abuse among these senior citizens includes education and literacy levels, psychological and physiological status and social economic statuses. One of the primary organizations that may help reduce drug addiction and abuse among these senior citizens is the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) which promotes a culture that supports people to live a life free of drug abuse related problems. Some of the ways ADF ensures this is through implementation of programs to help the community and dissemination of information on how other members of the society can also help.
References
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