Until relatively recently, health providers and researchers paid limited attention to alcohol and other drug use by older adults. But as baby boomers have turned 65, the age at which they qualify for Medicare, the incidence of alcohol and other substance use disorders among seniors has climbed steeply. Families, friends, and even healthcare workers tend to overlook concerns about the substance use of older people. Still, the reality is that anyone—at any age—can develop an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and other drugs.

The University of Michigan's 2021 National Poll on Healthy Aging found that a substantial subset of seniors significantly exceeded the recommended guidelines for alcohol use. Twenty percent of respondents drank alcohol four or more times per week; 27% reported having six or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past year; and 7% reported alcohol-related blackouts.[1]

A 2022 study based on 2015-2019 data from the U.S. National Survey of Drug Use and Health focused on the prevalence of substance use disorders among Medicare beneficiaries, looking at the differences between Medicare enrollees under 65 (who qualify due to disabilities) and those 65 and older. Of the 2% of beneficiaries over 65 who reported a substance use disorder or dependence in the past year—over 900,000 seniors nationwide—more than 87 percent abused alcohol.[2]

In some cases, older adults have decades-long experience with regular use, while others develop a harmful reliance on alcohol and other drugs later in life. Sometimes, this is a result of major life changes, such as the death of a spouse, other loved ones, or friends, social isolation, relocating to new........

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