"Never Too Old to Get Help" with Alexandra Plante

Substance Use Disorders affect every demographic, but the impact on some groups has received less attention. An estimated one million older people in the United States have a substance use challenge. Alexandra Plante discusses her article "Substance Use Challenges in Older Adults" and the substance use issues facing older adults. Ms. Plante is a Senior Advisor of Substance Use Disorder in the Strategy and Growth Office of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She is a recipient of a Fulbright Specialist Award in Substance Use Disorder, leads the National Substance Use Interest Group, and volunteers her time with the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project. She has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and state policymakers as well as to international agencies such as the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime (UNODC). The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, its resources, and Ms. Plante can be reached at https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/. For those in need of assisted living, Caring.com, https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living/assisted-living-and-addiction/, has put together a guide of questions that patients and families can ask of assisted living facilities about substance use disorder support. The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host, Westwords Consulting or the Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition. We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!