Helping a parent addicted to painkillers

be essentially the same as other age brackets.

“Drug treatment for older people isn’t really different from treatment for younger people,” she said. “Medication may be appropriate, [and] managing symptoms — both physical and emotional — via counseling or peer support are helpful. Finding meaningful drug free activity can also be important.”

Earlier this year, a study published in the Lancet Journal of Public Health determined that programs that distributed the opioid overdose reversal antidote naloxone and clean syringes actually helped save the lives of those suffering from an opioid dependence.

Thus, obtaining and understanding how to use naloxone is crucial for those who have at-risk family members, Johnson added.