Wellspring Lutheran Services offers recovery services to help older adults in post-acute care who need treatment for a substance use disorder.
Substance abuse among older adults is one of the fastest growing health problems in the United States. In the past 14 years alone, the number of U.S. adults over age 50 who need treatment for substance use disorders has more than doubled, from about 2.8 million in 2006, to 5.7 million in 2020, according to Alexis Kuerbis and colleagues.
Despite these startling statistics, addiction among older adults is often underestimated, under-diagnosed, and frequently untreated. As a result, there is a growing need for more substance use disorder recovery programs specifically designed for older adults and offered in a wide variety of clinical settings.
Wellspring Lutheran Services, a LeadingAge member in Michigan, is working to address this unmet need by implementing the Skilled Substance Use Recovery Program at Livonia Woods, the organization’s 72-bed post-acute care center in Livonia, MI.
The LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston is leading an evaluation of the program with help from a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and in collaboration with Wellspring’s leadership and program staff.
About the Program
The Wellspring Skilled Substance Use Recovery Program is designed to identify older adults with substance use disorders and to offer recovery services that will help participants improve their clinical outcomes and quality of life.
Through the program, older adults requiring post-acute care receive specialized screening for substance use disorder while they are still in the hospital. Individuals identified for admission to the program then undergo a specialized assessment and participate in developing an individual service plan. Once admitted to the program, participants receive the following recovery services while they are also receiving post-acute care from Wellspring:
- Older-adult recovery support groups.
- Individual, group, and family therapy.
- Access to a certified peer recovery coach.
- Specialized medication protocols developed by a consulting addictionologist to help mitigate withdrawal and maximize non-addictive pain management.
- Medication-assisted treatment, where appropriate.
- Specialized discharge plans and referrals to community partners for aftercare.
Researchers will conduct a process evaluation to determine how well the Skilled Substance Use Recovery Program is implemented and how it operates. An outcome evaluation will allow researchers to pinpoint the impact the program is having on participants.
“The planned project evaluation is critical to refining and further developing the Skilled Substance Use Recovery Program to better meet the needs of this unique population,” says Verena Cimarolli, senior health services research associate in the LTSS Center’s Washington, DC, office. “The evaluation will also inform how Wellspring approaches sustainability and replication of the program.”
About Wellspring Lutheran Services
Wellspring Lutheran Services, a statewide nonprofit organization based in Michigan, offers a variety of services, ranging from family preservation and foster care to a complete line of services for older adults. Services for older adults include nursing home care, assisted and independent living communities, in-home care, memory support, and respite care.