Following the release of an issue brief: The Opioid Public Health Emergency and Older Adults in December 2017, ACL convened a stakeholder discussion meeting. A summary of that discussion is now available.
ACL’s Center for Policy and Evaluation, the Administration on Aging, and the National Institute for Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), along with other colleagues across ACL, partnered on this discussion. The opioid emergency is a priority for the Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), ACL, and every operating division has a role in addressing the emergency. Across ACL we are working together to determine how best to help our aging and disability stakeholders and this meeting was helpful to this effort.
The summary document highlights themes from the discussion about opioids and the impact on older adults and people with disabilities, including areas where more information is needed, how the Aging and Disability Networks may be involved with providing supports in addressing the emergency, and recommendations for possible actions for ACL to take.