Older Adults and Substance Misuse: Hiding in Plain Sight

• By: Nancy Harvey, LMSW Service Program for Older People (SPOP)
• October 23rd, 2023
• addiction treatment, alcohol use, complicated grief, emotional trauma, Fall 2023 Issue, holistic approach, mental healthcare, older adults, pandemic, psychotherapy, social determinants of health, social isolation, substance misuse
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Last winter “Lucy,” an 87-year-old woman, was referred to Service Program for Older People (SPOP) by her primary care doctor. Lucy’s husband had died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was struggling with unresolved grief, depression, and panic attacks. A retired teacher, she had enjoyed a...