Older Americans Substance Abuse and Mental Health Technical Assistance Center

eCommunication

FALL/WINTER 2007
Volume 2, Number 2

From the Director

As the Older Americans Substance Abuse and Mental Health Technical Assistance Center (TAC) begins its fourth year of operation, the importance of addressing older adult mental health and substance abuse issues has gained momentum in several critical areas at the national level. As most of our readers are aware, the 2005 White House Conference on Aging highlighted mental health issues in Resolution #8: Improve Recognition, Assessment, and Treatment of Mental Illness and Depression. The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 reauthorized critical legislation ensuring service provision for older adults, specifically including language supporting prevention of and early intervention for mental health issues.

The growing national recognition of older adults mental health and substance abuse issues has been spurred by efforts at the state and local levels.

The TAC will continue to work with state agencies and local providers of substance abuse, mental health, and aging services to increase recognition of the importance of prevetion and early intervention among older adults. To date, TAC staff have conducted over 80 assessment conference calls with nearly 150 representatives from aging, mental health, substance abuse, public health, and emergency management to learn about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to older adult substance abuse and mental health response in local communities and statewide. We have held face-to-face planning meetings with 8 States and 3 Territories, with 60 participants having the opportunity to meet, learn more about State activities and resources, and identify opportunities for further collaboration and discourse.

It has been our privilege over the past three years to meet a number of strong advocates and champions for older adult substance abuse and mental health issues. If you are already one of these individuals, we commend you for your efforts. If you want to learn more about what other champions are doing, please contact the TAC. We look forward to continued successes and ongoing collaboration with the field as we respond to future technical assistance and training needs.

TAC Update

The TAC has been busy this spring and summer. TAC staff presented at several conferences. We provided five workshops for the American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging Joint Annual Conference which was held on March 7-10, 2007 in Chicago. The TAC also hosted a highly successful State Planning Meeting for Louisiana and Mississippi conducted in New Orleans on May 16-17, 2007. This meeting, although similar to the TAC’s previous state planning events, expanded to include public health, emergency and disaster response, along with mental health, substance abuse, and aging representatives. While we continue to focus on older adult behavioral health needs, the context of the May meeting included disaster preparedness and response issues for older adults as well. While in New Orleans, the TAC Project Director also presented on the topic, “TAC Overview, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Highlights and Older Adults and Disaster: Assets and Challenges,” to state attendees from 16 states at the 2005 Hurricanes Behavioral Health Lessons Learned/Reflections on the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program on May 16, 2007.

TAC staff also presented two workshops for the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging’s 32nd Annual Conference, Gateway to the New World of Aging, held in San Francisco on July 29-August 1, 2007. The topics included “Disaster Preparedness and Response for Older Adults” and “Mental Health Services for Older Adults/Increasing Provider Comfort Levels: Working with Older Adults.” The summer season ended with the TAC Project Director presenting at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Older Persons Division 2007 Annual Meeting which was held in Louisville on August 26, 2007.

Through information dissemination, presentations, technical assistance requests, and TAC’s e?]mail and 888-line, the TAC has responded to the needs of 17 states and territories between the months of March and June 2007. The TAC looks forward to several upcoming opportunities to interact with the field. In October 2007, theTAC Project Director and Deputy Project Director have been invited to conduct a keynote address and workshop at the conference “Embracing the Challenge: Mental Health and Aging” sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A). The TAC Project Director will also be presenting in Little Rock at the 27th Annual Arkansas Aging Conference on October 24, 2007.

News from Our Federal Partners

SAMHSA has a number of publications regarding older adult mental health and substance abuse issues. They include the Get Connected! Toolkit and a report on overcoming stigma as well as commun­ications related to a joint SAMHSA and Food and Drug Admin­istration (FDA) public service announcement, “As You Age.” Through the Knowledge Application Program’s Multi-Language Initiative, several brochures have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese for clients and the general public whose first language is not English. Additionally, a wide variety of short reports are available regarding substance use among older adults. SAMHSA also has a number of pub­­li­cations for health and social service providers including a substance abuse prevention relapse manual and quick guides for clinicians. A handful of SAMHSA’s older adult publications are below. For a complete listing, including links to available PDFs for downloading, please visit http://www.samhsa.gov/aging/age_08.aspx.

General Publications
Mentally Healthy Aging: A Report on Overcoming Stigma for Older Americans, 2005.
Inventory Code: SMA05-3988
http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA05-3988/aging_stigma.pdf

Community Integration for Older Adults with Mental Illnesses: Overcoming Barriers and Seizing Opportunities, 2005.
Inventory Code: SMA05-4018
http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA05-4018/OlderAdults.pdf

Get Connected! Toolkit: Linking Older Adults with Medication, Alcohol, and Mental Health Resources, December 2003
http://www.samhsa.gov/Aging/docs/GetConnectedToolkit.pdf

Public Service Announcements
As You Age...A Guide to Aging, Medicines and Alcohol, 2004
http://media.shs.net/asyouage/asyouagebrochure01.pdf

“As You Age” Public Service Announcement #1
(Ask, Guard, Educate), 2004
http://media.shs.net/asyouage/asyouageprintads01.pdf

“As You Age” Public Service Announcement #2
(There’s No Better Time...), 2004
http://media.shs.net/asyouage/asyouageprintads01.pdf

Multi-Language Publications

Good Mental Health is Ageless, December 2001
• Available in Chinese, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/chinese/AgingMH-Chinese.pdf
• Available in Korean, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/korean/AgingMH-Korean.pdf
• Available in Russian, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/russian/AgingMH-Russian.pdf
• Available in Spanish, La Buena Salud Mental No Tiene Edad, 2004
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/spanish/AgingMH-Spanish.pdf
• Available in Vietnamese, 2006
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/vietnamese/mentaltext_vietnamese_JBS.pdf

Aging, Medicines and Alcohol, December 2001
• Available in Chinese, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/chinese/AgingMed-Chinese.pdf
• Available in Korean, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/korean/AgingMed-Korean.pdf
• Available in Russian, 2005
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/russian/AgingMed-Russian.pdf
• Available in Spanish, 2005
El Envejecimiento, los Medicamentos y el Alcohol,
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/spanish/AgingMed-Spanish.pdf
• Available in Vietnamese, 2006
http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/vietnamese/Aging-Vietnamese.pdf

Short Reports
The DASIS Report: Older Adult Alcohol Admissions: 2003, 2006
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/olderAdultsTX/olderAdultsTX.cfm
The DASIS Report: Retired Admissions: 2003, 2006
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/retiredTX/retiredTX.cfm
The NSDUH Report: Substance Use Among Older Adults: 2002 and 2003 Update, April 22, 2005
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/olderadults/olderadults.cfm

For Health and Social Service Providers
Substance Abuse Relapse Prevention Manual for Older Adults: A Group Treatment Approach, 2005
Alcohol Use Among Older Adults: Pocket Screening Instruments for Health Care and Social Service Providers, December 2001
KAP Keys for Clinicians and Quick Guide for Clinicians Based on TIP 26: Substance Abuse Among Older Adults (assembled set), December 2001

Safe Driving for Older Adults

For many older adults, driving represents much more than getting to the places that they want or need to go. It represents independence and control of one’s life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Injury Center, there were more than 28 million licensed drivers age 65 years and older, in 2004. This represented a 17 percent increase from the number in 1994. To insure the safety of oneself and others while driving, older adults need to be aware that use of medications and herbal supplements can impact driver abilities.

While great strides have been made to increase awareness regarding the dangers of drinking and driving, national attention is just beginning to address the dangers that exist with “drugged” driving. As reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drugged driving is defined as driving under the influence of any drug, prescription or over-the-counter that renders the driver incapable of driving safely or causes the driver to be impaired with regard to driving judgment, motor skills or reaction time.

Many individuals take multiple medications, particularly older adults. There are a number of reasons that people take medications and herbal supplements including:
• allergies,
• anxiety,
• cold/flu,
• depression,
• diabetes,
• cholesterol,
• heart conditions,
• pain,
• high blood pressure, and
• other temporary or chronic conditions.

The combination of different medications can cause problems for some. Older adults take more medications than any other age group and therefore are at greater risk regarding possible effects of medication affecting their ability to drive safely. Reactions to medication and supplements include:
• sleepiness,
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• blurred vision,
• slowed movement,
• inability to focus, and in some cases,
• even fainting.

If you notice (or if someone comments) that you may be experiencing a reaction to any type of medication, there are some things that can be done. First, discuss your experiences with your doctor. Often the doctor may be able to:
• adjust the dose,
• adjust the time of day you take the medication, or,
• change the medication to one that causes less reaction (i.e., drowsiness).

It is critical to give your doctor and pharmacist open and honest feedback regarding any medication side effect(s). Before taking a new medication, ask your doctor if you should drive. Side effects such as drowsiness are frequently more pronounced when beginning a new medication and get better as the body adjusts to the medication. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety recommends not driving for three or four days until side effects can be determined and the body has adjusted to the medication. Practicing self-monitoring of your reactions to any prescription or over-the-counter medication or herbal supplement is important to maintaining your driving safety and independence.

Information for this article was obtained from the following websites. For more information on safe driving and medications, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/older.htm
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/driving.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Medications/index.htm
http://www.seniordrivers.org/driving/driving.cfm?button=medication

Calendar

September 2007

The Music Festival for Mental Health
Napa Valley, CA
September 8, 2007
http://www.music-festival.org/

National Aging Month
The Healthy Aging Campaign
September 2007
http://www.healthyaging.net/

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
SAMHSA
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
September 2007
http://www.recoverymonth.gov/

National Suicide Prevention Week
September 9–15, 2007
American Association of Suicidology
http://www.suicidology.org//

Independent Living: “A Lifetime of Achievement”
Louisville, KY
Department of Aging and Independent Living
September 5–7, 2007
Contact Willa Thomas
502-564-6930

Grandparents Day
September 9, 2007
http://www.grandparents-day.com/

N.C. Conference on Aging: “Today – Tomorrow – Together!”
Winston-Salem, NC
UNC Institute on Aging
September 10–12, 2007
http://www.aging.unc.edu/nccoa/index.html

Autumn Series on Aging
Philadelphia, PA
American Society on Aging
September 17–20, 2007
http://www.asaging.org/asav2/autumnconference/as07/index.cfm

Active Aging Week
International Council on Aging
September 25 – October 1, 2007
http://www.icaa.cc/aaw.htm

3rd Annual Art of Recovery Expo
Phoenix, AZ
Sponsored by SAMHSA
September 29, 2007
http://www.artofrecoveryexpo.com/

“Reaching New Heights in Successful Community Living” The 23rd National Home and Community Based Services Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
National Association of State Units on Aging
New Mexico Aging and Long Term Services Department
September 30 – October 3, 2007
http://www.nasua.org/waiverconference/

October 2007

Autumn Series on Aging
San Francisco, CA
American Society on Aging
October 8–11, 2007
http://www.asaging.org/asav2/autumnconference/as07/index.cfm

World Mental Health Day
World Federation for Mental Health
October 10, 2007
http://www.wfmh.com/

2007 Annual Conference: “The Booming of an Aging Population: Building Strategies to Enjoy Our Golden Years”
Dallas, TX
The National Hispanic Council on Aging
October 31 – November 2, 2007
http://nhcoa.org/

November 2007

Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung Cancer Alliance
http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/involved/lcam_month.html

December 2007

World AIDS Day
December 1, 2007
http://www.unaids.org/services/events/event.aspx?EventID=683&displaylang=en&y=2007&m=7

Governor’s Conference on Aging
Chicago, IL
Illinois Department on Aging
December 12-14, 2007
Contact Rose Loeber-Hamilton
217-785-3377

February 2008

National Heart Month
Sponsored by American Heart Association
1-800-242-8721

Preventive Medicine 2008
Austin, TX
Amer. College of Preventive Medicine
February 20-23, 2008
http://preventivemedicine2008.org/default.htm

ICADI International Conference on Aging, Disability, and Independence
St. Petersburg, FL
University of Florida
February 20-23, 2008
http://www.icadi.phhp.ufl.edu/

AGHE 34th Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference ‘Disciplinary Convergence: The Nexus of Gerontology and Geriatric Education’
Baltimore, MD
Association of Gerontology in Higher Education
February 21-24, 2008
http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/section.php?id=8328

STAFF

Older Americans Substance Abuse & Mental Health Technical Assistance Center

Lisa Patton, PhD
Project Director Dianne McElroy, MA
Deputy Project Director

Megan Collins
Project Manager

Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Scientific Co-Director

Frederic C. Blow, PhD
Scientific Co-Director

Laurie M. Brockmann, MPH, MSW
Research Associate

Aricca D. Van Citters, MS
Research Associate

David Maklan, PhD
Corporate Monitor

CONTACT US

For more information regarding any of the topics in this issue or other questions and comments, please contact:
Dianne McElroy, MA
Deputy Project Director
OlderAmericansTAC@westat.com

1 888-281-8010