The Elder LEAD Project
Elder LEAD is a statewide initiative to promote physical and mental health and reduce the likelihood of alcohol and prescription medication misuse, and suicide in senior citizens. Senior Citizens are a disparate population in regards to substance abuse prevention and mental health awareness across the state. Geminus Prevention services completed a large scale needs assessment and community resource scan in the spring of 2013 which indicated the following: 20% of seniors consume alcohol daily 19% consume alcohol weekly Male seniors are statistically more likely than women to see little or no risk in smoking marijuana Male seniors are statistically more likely than women to see little risk in mixing prescription medication with either alcohol or over‐the‐counter medication Male seniors are more likely to see little risk in using over‐the‐counter medication differently than instructed Many respondents were reluctant to discuss their symptoms and sometimes refused to answer the questions Hopelessness afflicts a minority but perceptible proportion of seniors to the point of interfering with daily routines and prompting visits with physicians Senior males were statistically more likely than females to perceive everything as an effort 1/3 felt worthless for about half of the previous 30 days, to the point of consulting physicians or other professionals Geminus Prevention Services is piloting this new, initiative program across the state. The program will incorporate elements of a peer‐to‐peer model and will focus on Substance Abuse Prevention, specifically prescription drug abuse and misuse and the effects of alcohol on medication as well as suicide prevention and depression awareness.