Do not go gentle… Substance misuse and ageing conference 2018.
Alongside an ageing population we are seeing an increase in alcohol consumption in the over 50s age group, coupled with the use of prescribed medication and illicit drug use. Older adults who are affected by substance misuse don’t receive the same attention as younger people and generic services are increasingly having to treat individuals with multiple and complex needs.
Drink Wise, Age Well (of which Barod is the leading consortium partner in Wales) and Developing a Caring Wales (DACW) hosted an international conference on substance misuse and ageing at Cardiff in January 2018. Compered by Barod CEO Caroline Phipps, the conference was a success and received over 180 delegates with requests for its replication in other areas of the UK.
The conference raised much needed attention on the need for new approaches to service provision to meet the challenges ahead. Presentation highlights included international speaker Dr. Andy Towers of Massey University, New Zealand; Dr. Martin Hyde from the Centre for Innovative Ageing, University of Swansea and saw Julie Breslin the head of Drink Wise, Age Well’s programme premier the national Vintage Street Campaign to tackle ageism and discrimination towards older drinkers.