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When you call the number listed on this ad, your call will be answered by Treatment X, a licensed addiction treatment provider and paid advertiser on AddictionResource.net. These programs recognize that various demographics face specific challenges and stressors, and they provide treatment that addresses those issues. Older adults, as well as family members and caregivers, can take steps to prevent accidental drug misuse. Addiction may carry an especially powerful stigma among older adults, whose religious communities may view substance abuse as a lack of self-control rather than an illness.
- Through our collaborative efforts, we aim not only to treat the symptoms but also to foster resilience and strengthen the foundations of long-term sobriety.
- All information provided in featured rehab listings is verified by the facility officials.
- However, when calling the helpline, you are under no obligation to use any of their services.
- Past-year PTSD occurs in only about 0.4 percent to 2.6 percent of people ages 65 and older.401,402 Many people with trauma do not meet criteria for PTSD but do meet criteria for depression.403Thus, depression screening is important in older clients who misuse substances.
- These increased rates are due to shifting attitudes toward substance use during their upbringing and increased life expectancy 1.
- The liver processes alcohol more slowly, and brain neuronal receptor sensitivity to alcohol and blood-brain barrier permeability increase.
Helping a Senior Recognize Risk
As such, it is considered the most prevalent form of illicit substance use by older adults in the U.S.4 Over recent years, cannabis has become less stigmatized and more accepted by the general public. Among older adults, the perceived risk of regular cannabis use has significantly decreased from 52.0% to 42.7% from 2015 to 2019 31. The demographic subgroups with the largest reductions in perceived risk were those never married, men, and those who lived in states where medical cannabis was legal 31. Importantly, those with chronic disease and high-risk behaviors, including tobacco and binge alcohol use, also had significant decreases in perceived risk 31. Older adults with high-risk behaviors are already at particular risk for harm, and the changing perceptions of cannabis use in this group can potentially lead to more consequences 31. Substance use disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent in the geriatric population, necessitating an updated understanding of the existing literature.
Co-Occurring Mood Disorders
As adults age, there are changes in body composition that lead to decreased lean muscle mass and decreased total volume of body water available for alcohol to distribute 17, 18. As a result, a given amount of alcohol results in a higher blood alcohol level in older adults and ultimately puts older adults at risk for intoxication and harm at a lower intake of alcohol 16. Although some stigma still surrounds mental health disorders, public attitudes are shifting considerably, and younger adults often have favorable views of mental health treatment.
Mental Health Services
Assessments give detailed information for diagnosis, treatment decisions, and treatment planning. Providers spend too little time with clients (and older adults in particular). Addiction Resource team has compiled an extensive list of the top drug rehabilitation facilities around the country. Click on the state you are interested in, and you’ll get a list of the best centers in the area, along with their levels of care, working hours, and contact information. The DSM criterion related to giving up what is alcoholism or reducing important social, recreational, or occupational activities in favor of substance use is similarly inapplicable.
- The prevalence of opioid prescriptions in older adults continues to increase 54.
- This trend concerns family members of older Americans, as well as healthcare providers and social workers who work with this vulnerable population.
- Little research has been done on the best type of addiction treatment for older adults.
- The evidence-based geriatric MH practices cover mental health outreach services; psychological and pharmacological treatments; integrated service delivery in primary care; and mental health consultation and treatment teams in long-term care10.
If no providers in your program have appropriate licenses or credentials to screen, assess, or diagnose clients for mental disorders, refer clients to another program for those needs. Also make sure you review the training requirements on administration and scoring; formal training may be required prior to using some instruments. When formal training is unnecessary, learn how to give each screening measure and assessment; instructions and scoring may vary depending on population demographic features and other factors. The questions can be adapted to a specific substance, such as a prescription medication, and they Sober living home can be asked either in the context of an interview or self-administered.
Treating Substance Use Disorder in Older Adults: Updated 2020 Internet.
Studies have shown that older women are more prone to the harmful effects of alcohol than older men due to their lower body mass and certain biological factors. Additionally, women may drink less often than men, but the same amount of alcohol will, on average, affect a woman more severely than a man. This is why it’s vital for older women – and all people – to enjoy alcoholic beverages and other substances responsibly and mindfully. Illicit drug use is generally more prevalent in the US than in the other countries8. In 2007, 9.4 per cent of the yr age group in the US had used an illicit drug (e.g., marijuana, cocaine) or a prescription drug non-medically (opioid analgesics most commonly) in the preceding year9.
They will find some aspects of it pleasant and beneficial but other aspects difficult, painful, or harmful. You can help clients discover their own reasons for wanting to change by talking about these mixed feelings and pointing out problem areas. Per SAMHSA, it is a clinical approach to helping clients make positive changes in their behavior. MI involves techniques like showing concern and empathy, avoiding arguing, and supporting a client’s self-efficacy (a person’s belief that he or she can successfully make a change). This may mean giving a full diagnostic interview, perhaps at another appointment. Even if full diagnostic criteria are not met, the client may still benefit from treatment if symptoms are upsetting or interfere with daily living.
Causes And Risk Factors Of Drug Addiction Among Older Adults
Research supports involving clients with SUDs in treatment decision-making processes.539 In some cases, matching clients’ substance-related treatment preferences has led to improved outcomes.540 However, shared decision making in the context of SUDs can be challenging. Clients who have SUDs may have mixed feelings about whether they can, or even want to, stop using substances. Using DSM-5 criteria to make an SUD diagnosis.534 Using an SUD assessment instrument based on DSM-5 criteria will improve diagnostic accuracy. Before assessing for depression and PTSD, make sure you have a safety plan in place. This will help you respond appropriately to any client’s reports of abuse and self-harm.
The most important parts of your full assessment are gathering information about the client’s substance use, mental health, physical health, and SUD treatment histories, as well as a listing of prescribed and OTC medications. Clients will feel safe sharing detailed information as their trust in you builds. You can also give a substance-related, depression, or trauma screener again if the client experiences major changes that could lead to substance misuse, depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Such changes include the death of someone significant to the client, a transition to an assisted living residence or nursing home, or retirement. Even if a screener is negative, the TIP consensus panel recommends that you occasionally rescreen clients.
Communication should be as clear and straightforward as possible, taking into account age-related brain changes, both normal and abnormal. It is easy to get frustrated with an older person abusing substances, sometimes more so than with one in another age group, because they’re very defensive and set in their ways. It can be challenging for seniors to remember when and how much of each of their medications to take, especially when their minds are fuzzy and they take multiple drugs for relatively long periods. A study by Van Citters and Brockmann, published in the Journal of Dual Diagnoses, showed that early-onset abusers (where the abuse started before they turned 65) tend to have many more mental and physical problems that require treatment than their late-onset counterparts. These are some things that older adults should consider when deciding to use substances.
Wellness programs may also be integrated to support overall health and well-being. Many older adults experience loneliness and grief, particularly after the loss of loved ones, which can drive them to self-medicate with alcohol or prescription medications. Furthermore, aging often requires older adults to manage multiple medications, increasing the risk for harmful drug interactions and substance misuse. These findings highlight the complex nature of substance use in the United States, the interplay between substance use and mental illness, and the complex challenges that persons with substance use disorder face when seeking treatment. Actions to enhance comprehensive substance use programs that incorporate polysubstance use and co-occurring mental health problems into strategies for prevention, treatment, and response are needed, as is expanded linkage to services. CDC provides data and resources to equip and inform states, territories, and local jurisdictions to help improve opioid prescribing practices, improve linkage to care for the treatment of opioid use disorder, and prevent and reverse overdoses.
In addition to the limited research available on older adults with addiction, this population faces several other challenges when dealing with substance use disorders (SUDs). Older adults, like younger adults, benefit from individual therapy sessions while in recovery for substance abuse, and therapy can be personalized to the client’s individual needs. However, anyone who would like to use marijuana should consult their doctors first, especially if they have a history of addiction or other risk factors for substance abuse.
Whoa!
So I was staring at charts last week, sipping coffee and muttering at my screen.
Prices were moving fast and my phone buzzed nonstop with alerts I had set weeks earlier.
Initially I thought small liquidity pools were the culprit, but then I realized a DEX aggregator routing inefficiency was amplifying slippage and causing weird price reverberations across several tokens in ways that felt almost coordinated.
My instinct said somethin’ else was going on, though honestly I couldn’t pin it down at first.
Seriously?
That uneasy feeling stuck with me for several days in a row as I watched a few midsize trades blow past expected fills.
I tracked orderbooks, TVL figures, and paired volumes across chains to try to see patterns that weren’t obvious on surface-level charts.
On one hand the markets were thinner than usual which increases volatility, though actually the routing logic some aggregators use ends up sandwiching liquidity pockets and making effective prices deteriorate for retail traders while bots skim profits.
My brain kept circling back to protocol-level incentives and how path selection is often optimized for fee or gas rather than for minimizing slippage for the user.
Hmm…
Okay, so check this out—aggregators don’t all behave the same when markets spike.
Some will route a swap across five tiny pools because it looks cheap on paper, while others consolidate into a larger pool that has better depth.
Initially I thought cheaper meant better, but then realized that when you split across many legs you introduce multiple price impacts, gas costs, and front-running surface area that together make the “cheap” route effectively expensive and risky.
I’ll be honest, that part bugs me—because the UX reads as a win but the backend is a trap sometimes.
Wow!
Here’s a real example I ran locally to test hypotheses.
I sent a simulated $10k swap through two routing strategies on the same chain, controlling variables tightly so the comparison was fair (gas, timing, quoted price).
The simple consolidated swap lost 0.6% to slippage, while the split-multi-leg route lost 1.4% once gas and micro-slippage accumulated, which matters on Main Street where traders have finite bankrolls.
Not everyone will notice, though if you’re frequent you feel that drag over weeks and months; it’s very very important when compounding returns.
Whoa!
What I learned forced a small change in my workflow.
Instead of trusting raw quotes blindly I started cross-checking aggregator routes with live on-chain liquidity snapshots and recent swap history to see where volume was actually absorbing orders cleanly.
Some tools visualize that better than others, and one I keep going back to helps me see routing paths, slippage estimates, and token pair health across chains in near real-time.
I’m biased, but having a single pane that surfaces that info saves time and stops dumb trades before they happen.

Practical checklist for smarter token price tracking
Here’s the thing.
Start by watching real fill rates and not just quoted prices; quotes are optimistic and often exclude execution friction like MEV or mempool dynamics.
Use an aggregator that surfaces route breakdowns, slippage history, and liquidity concentration, because those details change outcomes materially when markets sprint or gap.
You can try the dexscreener official site app to quickly compare routes and see token liquidity health across DEXs in a compact view, which is handy when you’re juggling chains or trying to tame cross-DEX noise.
Actually, wait—let me rephrase that: don’t rely on any single metric, but use the aggregator as a lens to find where you need deeper on-chain proof before pressing execute.
Whoa!
There are deeper mechanics worth understanding, though.
Routing algorithms often balance three levers: gas costs, apparent liquidity, and fee optimization, and trade-offs among these levers determine real-world outcomes for traders.
On-chain order splitting and cross-pool arbitrage add complexity because bots react faster than most wallets, which can lead to persistent skew on a token’s quoted price during volatility windows.
On one hand you want low-cost swaps, and on the other you want stable fills — prioritizing one over the other without context creates losses that compound over time.
Seriously?
Okay, so here’s a pragmatic approach that I use when the market looks busy.
First, reduce trade size relative to pool depth, which lowers price impact and keeps execution probability higher than aggressive fills would allow.
Second, set sensible slippage tolerances and then validate the route breakdown before execution so you don’t get surprised by hidden hops or minuscule pools that amplify impact.
Third, when crossing chains, account for relayer delays and wrapping steps because they add friction and give arbitrageurs windows to push prices against you.
Hmm…
Initially I thought chain-level tools would solve everything, but that view was naive and required recalibration once I tested in the wild.
There’s a nuance: aggregators are improving fast, and some now simulate post-trade states to estimate MEV risk, which helps traders choose routes more intelligently than simply following the cheapest quote.
On the flip side, simulation accuracy depends on mempool visibility and timing alignment, so it’s not an oracle — it’s a best-effort prediction that should inform rather than dictate trades.
I’m not 100% sure where things will land, though the direction feels right and the tooling is steadily getting better.
Whoa!
Finally, a few quick rules I hand to friends who ask for a simple checklist.
Check route breakdowns, prioritize pools with real depth, monitor recent fills for the pair, and be conservative with slippage tolerance during spikes.
If you trade often, automate alerts for abnormal slippage or volume divergence so you can avoid repeat losses caused by the same routing pattern.
And yeah—don’t be afraid to pause and reassess when the market smells like coordinated churn; sometimes the best trade is no trade at all.
FAQ — Quick answers for busy traders
How do I tell if a quoted price is misleading?
Look at recent fill history and route depth; if the quote uses many small pools or shows aggressive path splitting, it’s likely optimistic and you should expect worse execution on-chain.
Can aggregators prevent MEV or front-running?
They can reduce exposure by choosing deeper pools and minimizing hops, but they can’t eliminate MEV entirely because mempool dynamics and bot behavior are external; prioritize aggregators that simulate and show MEV risk indicators.
Gamification is revolutionizing the casino sector by boosting player involvement and loyalty through gaming elements. In 2023, a report by the Gaming Innovation Group highlighted that casinos implementing gamification tactics saw a 30% growth in player fidelity rates.
One notable supporter for gamification in gaming is David Baazov, the former CEO of Amaya Gaming, who has emphasized the significance of incorporating game elements into conventional casino encounters. You can follow his insights on his LinkedIn profile.
In 2022, the Bellagio in Las Vegas launched a loyalty program that pays players with tokens for every game played, which can be exchanged for exclusive experiences and bonuses. This program not only boosts the gaming interaction but also fosters a sense of belonging among players. For more details on gamification in casinos, visit The New York Times.
Gamification strategies include leaderboards, achievement badges, and challenges that motivate players to participate more deeply with the games. These elements create a more engaging environment, making players feel more committed in their gaming experience. Discover a platform implementing these gamification approaches at online pokies.
As the movement of gamification keeps to expand, casinos must guarantee they integrate entertainment with responsible gaming approaches. Players should be aware of their gaming habits and choose platforms that promote healthy gaming behaviors while enjoying the enhanced interactions that gamification offers.
Okay, so check this out—I’ve been noodling on how folks in the Solana ecosystem choose validators and keep tabs on their DeFi moves. Seriously, it’s not just about locking your tokens and hoping for the best. Something felt off about the way some people blindly pick validators, or worse, juggle a bunch without a clue. I mean, yeah, staking’s supposed to be straightforward, but the ecosystem’s getting more complex every day. My gut says if you’re not tracking your portfolio carefully or vetting your validators, you’re missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Here’s the thing. When I first started staking on Solana, I just picked a validator recommended by a friend. Easy enough, right? But then I noticed my rewards weren’t as steady as I thought they’d be. Hmm… maybe it’s not just about APR. There’s the whole reliability factor—performance, uptime, commission rates… and the trustworthiness angle, which is huge when you’re putting your crypto on the line.
So, I dug deeper. Turns out, validators are kinda like the backbone of Solana’s security and speed. If you choose poorly, you risk lower rewards or even losing out if a validator gets slashed. Initially, I thought all validators were pretty much the same. Actually, wait—let me rephrase that, they’re not. Some have way better track records, community involvement, and transparent operations. That’s gold if you want to keep your staking game tight.
And speaking of keeping things tight, portfolio tracking is an underrated art in this space. I’m biased, but I swear by wallets that let me check everything in one place. Oh, and by the way, there’s this solflare wallet that I keep coming back to. It’s kinda like having a personal dashboard for all your Solana assets, staking positions, and even DeFi protocols you’re dabbling in. Trust me, juggling multiple apps for this stuff is a headache.
Wow! You ever get that sinking feeling when you realize your staking rewards are way below what you expected? Yeah, me too. That’s usually because of validator downtime or high commission fees eating into your profits. Choosing a validator isn’t just about the biggest returns advertised; it’s about consistency and transparency. I’ve seen validators with flashy websites but spotty histories. Something about that rubbed me the wrong way.
Why Validator Selection Is More Than Just Numbers
Look, I get it. The allure of high APRs is strong. But on one hand, chasing the highest yield sounds smart, though actually, it can be risky if that validator isn’t stable. Validators with low uptime or poor performance can slash your rewards, or worse, your stake. Not cool. It’s like putting your money in a bank that sometimes just… closes shop for days without notice.
On the flip side, some validators take pride in community engagement, regular updates, and transparent operations. They publish their performance stats openly, and you can verify their uptime easily. These are the ones I tend to trust. They might not always offer the highest rate, but their reliability means more steady gains over time.
Plus, there’s the decentralization angle. If too many people stake with a handful of validators, it centralizes the network, which kinda defeats Solana’s whole point. I try to spread my stake across a few well-chosen validators, balancing my rewards and supporting network health. But man, tracking all that without a decent tool is painful. This is where a good wallet with staking and portfolio tracking features shines.
Speaking of tools, the solflare wallet offers an intuitive way to monitor your validators’ performance alongside your assets. It’s not just a wallet; it’s like a command center for your Solana journey. Seriously, if you’re diving into staking and DeFi protocols, having a reliable interface where you can see all your positions and rewards in real time makes a huge difference.
Okay, so here’s a tangent—DeFi protocols on Solana are booming, and many folks want to maximize yield by hopping around farms and lending platforms. The problem? It’s easy to lose track of where your assets are staked, what’s locked up, and what’s liquid. Without proper tracking, you might miss out on opportunities or fall prey to scams. This part bugs me because I’ve seen too many people get burned just because they weren’t paying close attention.
At the same time, I’m not 100% sure all the shiny DeFi projects are sustainable long-term. Some promise crazy returns that sound too good to be true—they often are. So, slow and steady wins the race here, picking protocols with solid audits and community trust. The solflare wallet helps by integrating with many DeFi apps, letting you track your exposure without juggling a dozen tabs.

Making Sense of It All: A Personal Approach
Honestly, before I got serious about staking and DeFi on Solana, I was all over the place. I’d hop on a validator because they had a cool name or promise, then switch because of some random Reddit hype. Not smart. My instinct said I needed a more methodical approach, but it took me some trial and error to figure out how to evaluate validators beyond just APR.
Now, I look at a few key things: validator uptime (above 99.9% is a must for me), commission fee (lower is better but not at the cost of quality), and community reputation. Sometimes I also check if they’re involved in Solana governance or ecosystem projects—that often signals commitment.
Once I pick validators, I stake through the solflare wallet because it makes managing multiple stakes and rewards so much simpler. The portfolio tracking feature is a lifesaver, showing me real-time updates on my holdings, rewards pending, and even the status of my staked tokens.
Here’s a weird thought—I almost wish there was a “validator health score” that combined all these metrics into one rating. But then again, oversimplifying could lead to lazy choices. So, maybe it’s better that I have to do a bit of my own homework. It keeps me engaged and aware.
And yeah, I’m the kind of person who double-checks my DeFi positions daily. Maybe that sounds neurotic, but with so many moving parts and new protocols popping up, I want to avoid nasty surprises. The solflare wallet’s integration with DeFi apps lets me track liquidity pools, farms, and lending positions without sweating the details too much.
Something I’ve learned the hard way—don’t underestimate the importance of user experience in your wallet and portfolio tracker. I tried some clunky interfaces that made me want to pull my hair out. Not with solflare. The design feels native to Solana, smooth, and reasonably intuitive. Plus, it supports hardware wallets, which I appreciate for added security.
So yeah, validator selection and portfolio tracking aren’t just technical chores; they’re part of your everyday engagement with the Solana ecosystem. Getting these right makes your crypto experience less stressful and more rewarding. At least, that’s my take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does validator uptime matter so much?
Because if a validator experiences downtime, you won’t earn staking rewards during that period, and it could impact the network’s security. High uptime means your staked tokens are actively supporting the network and earning consistent rewards.
Can I stake with multiple validators at once?
Yes, you can split your stake across multiple validators. This practice helps with decentralization and risk management, so you’re not overly dependent on a single validator’s performance.
How does the solflare wallet help with DeFi tracking?
It integrates with various DeFi protocols on Solana, allowing you to see your positions, rewards, and liquidity pools in one place. This consolidates your portfolio and reduces the need to use multiple apps or interfaces.