The Opioid Crisis and Older Adults: Prescription to Addiction

Presented by the Professional Development Program at SSA. Sponsored by the South Side Healthy Aging Resource Experts (SHARE) Network.

At this event, a multidisciplinary panel will discuss the opioid crisis and its impact on older adults from a range of perspectives from the societal to the individual level. Topics will include the origins and the scale of the opioid epidemic nationwide, an examination of policy responses, how healthcare providers are rethinking pain management, and practical steps front line staff can take to identify and respond to older individuals, whether they be at risk for opioid misuse themselves, or connected to someone who is.

After attending this event, participants will be able to:
• Identify factors that place older adults at risk for opioid use disorder.
• Identify specific resources available to aid older adults affected by opioid use disorder.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose.
• Administer naloxone to potentially reverse an opioid overdose.