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Perioperative Addiction pp 239–251Cite as

The Addicted Geriatric Patient

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Abstract

The older population in the U.S. is growing at an unprecedented rate. At present, there are 37 million people 65 years of age and over in the United States. Due to the aging of the baby boomers, this population will expand to more than 71 million by 2030 [1]. Approximately 2.5 million older adults have substance abuse problems. This number is expected to double to 5 million by 2020 [2]. Projections indicate that increases in the number of older adults with problem substance use will increase across race, ethnicity, and gender. As the population of older substance abusers continues to grow, so too will the number of older in-patients and surgical patients with substance abuse disorders.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, University of Tennessee, Nashville, TN, USA

    Sherry Cummings MSW, PhD & R. Lyle Cooper PhD, LCSW

Authors
  1. Sherry Cummings MSW, PhD
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  2. R. Lyle Cooper PhD, LCSW
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sherry Cummings MSW, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Associate Professor, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Ethan O. Bryson

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Professor, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Elizabeth A. M. Frost

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Cummings, S., Cooper, R.L. (2012). The Addicted Geriatric Patient. In: Bryson, E., Frost, E. (eds) Perioperative Addiction. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0170-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0170-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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