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The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)
presented the AOoA with national Aging Innovations Award,
the highest honor presented by n4a to Area Agencies on
Aging.
This year’s award recognizes the Area Office on Aging’s
trailblazing partnership with the Lucas County Sheriff,
Bowling Green State University and the Wood County Committee
on Aging to reduce opioid addiction among older adults.
This partnership was developed to address statistics showing
that there’s a new face to opioid addiction … and it’s
older. There are an estimated 2,023 older northwestern
Ohioans abusing or addicted to opioids. In 2017, there were
an estimated 80 drug overdose emergency room visits by
northwest Ohioans age 65+, which is more than double the
amount in 2012. Opioids are prescribed to older adults more
than any other age group.
“In developing a local strategy to reduce opioid addition
among older adults, these agencies have become the first
partnership of its kind in the nation,” said Area Office on
Aging President/CEO Billie Johnson.
Throughout 2018 and continuing on into 2019, with funding
from the Area Office on Aging, Bowling Green State
University has conducted educational trainings for over
1,000 people on red flags to look out for that may indicate
an older adult is struggling with opioid addiction, how to
initiate a conversation with the older adult about this and
resources that are available to help them. In March 2019,
this partnership has also resulted in the Area Office on
Aging hiring a Sheriff's Drug Abuse Response Team (DART)
Officer. The DART Officer's goal is to inform older adults
on prescription misuse, addiction, and fatal overdoses.
Opioids are prescribed to seniors more than any other age
group.
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