Casey Unveils Actions to Prevent and Treat Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults

New Casey bill will help improve prevention and treatment options for the growing number of older adults suffering from substance abuse disorders

Casey also sent letter to federal agency responsible for addressing substance use disorders advocating for improved data collection on older adults

Actions follow December Aging Committee hearing exposing the growing crisis of seniors facing substance use disorder issues

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, unveiled a series of actions to prevent and treat substance use disorders (SUDs) among older adults. As part of the package, Casey introduced the Preventing and Treating Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults Act, a bill that will help provide the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with the resources it needs to improve treatment and prevention services for older adults with SUDs. Casey also sent a letter to SAMHSA urging the agency to improve its collection of data about the prevalence of older adults with substance use disorders to facilitate better treatment and prevention.

“Despite being more susceptible to developing substance use disorders, older Americans are often overlooked for typical screenings and prevention efforts,” said Chairman Casey (D-PA). “Today, I’m taking action to ensure that the rise in substance use disorders among older adults is a subject of national attention, and to improve the availability and accessibility of potentially life-saving treatment options.”

The rates of substance use disorders among older adults over the age of 65 have increased in recent years, with nearly four million older adults reporting an SUD in 2022. The number of older adults needing SUD treatment has tripled from 1.7 million in 2000 to 5.7 million in 2020. Unfortunately, older adults are often overlooked when developing screening, prevention, and treatment strategies. These challenges are compounded by a lack of data available to promote understanding of how to best care for older adults with SUDs. 

Senator Casey’s new bill, the Preventing and Treating Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults Act, will establish a grant program at SAMHSA to improve understanding as well as treatment and prevention services for older adults with SUDs. The program will award grants to eligible entities, particularly those located in areas of high need, to improve SUD treatment and prevention services for older adults, including those that seek to improve comprehensive care coordination and integrated care, data collection, and collaboration with older adults and their loved ones.

Casey also sent a letter to SAMHSA urging the agency to improve data collection in three areas: (1) the scope of substance use disorders among older adults, (2) the extent to which older adults are able to access integrated physical and mental health care, and (3) the extent to which older adults are able to access wraparound and other social supports to meet their unique needs. This data would facilitate improved treatment and prevention of SUDs among older adults.

Chairman Casey’s actions follow an Aging Committee hearing held last December entitled, “Understanding a Growing Crisis: Substance Use Trends Among Older Adults.” At the hearing, Casey heard from a number of subject matter experts and older adults about the growing crisis, including the scope of the challenge, gaps in coverage and access to treatment and recovery, and limits in research that might be obscuring the problem. Today’s bill and letter address the concerns raised at the December hearing.

Read more about the Preventing and Treating Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults Act here.

Read the full text of Chairman Casey’s letter to SAMHSA here.

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