March Behavioral Health & Aging Newsletter

Welcome to OCEBHA’s monthly newsletter! Each month, we send out a newsletter highlighting some of the last month’s important news and applicable research in behavioral health and aging, and events and opportunities for the upcoming month. 

This month, we’re sharing some exciting news about OCEBHA’s work, actionable research for practitioners on substance use and building bridges, along with select March events from our partners across Oregon.

More older people are being diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) even as the treatment system often fails to help them. There are many reasons for this surge. Society is aging, and so is the population with OUD. Many older adults suffer with painful medical problems and other conditions that can contribute to addiction. Here are 10 policy recommendations the authors say would improve substance use care for older adults:

Nearly 20,000 people over the age of 55 died of an opioid overdose in 2023, and the number of seniors living with opioid addiction has climbed in recent years to roughly 1 million. Many have other health problems such as arthritis, diabetes and heart failure, and experience social issues like housing, hunger and loneliness also pose increasing challenges for many people as they age.

Doctors, nurses, researchers and policy experts say many of these older patients are falling through the cracks of a health care system that is not built to meet their needs. 

REACH Health Services in Baltimore (Recovery Enhanced by Access to Comprehensive Healthcare) provides one model for filling in these cracks by:

Research studying the effects of cannabis on the brain has often focused on adolescents, but a new study from CU Anschutz researchers looks at population-level impacts of cannabis usage on the brain in older adults. 

The research team found that cannabis usage in older adults was generally associated with larger volumes in several brain regions and better cognitive function in adults ages 40 to 77. Guha said she was surprised by the extent of the positive findings. But she emphasized that cannabis use studies are difficult with often unknown variables, noting the constituents and potency of the cannabis products study subjects used were unknown.

Key findings include:

Many parts of Oregon lack mental health care providers, especially in rural counties.

This report builds on a statewide behavioral health workforce assessment from last year. That assessment found a critical shortage of mental health providers, especially in rural counties.

The council’s report outlines strategies for building a better workforce. That includes increasing pay and creating more opportunities for career advancement.

The Federal government took a range of steps to expedite the adoption and awareness of telehealth. Some of the telehealth flexibilities have been made permanent while others are temporary. Telehealth policies allow:

Medicare patients can receive telehealth services for non-behavioral/mental health care in their home through December 31, 2027.

There are no geographic restrictions for originating site for Medicare non-behavioral/mental telehealth services through December 31, 2027.

Telehealth services can be provided by all eligible Medicare providers through December 31, 2027.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can serve as Medicare distant site providers for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services through December 31, 2027.

An in-person visit within six months of an initial Medicare behavioral/mental telehealth service, and annually thereafter, is not required through December 31, 2027.

Non-behavioral/mental telehealth services in Medicare can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms through December 31, 2027.

 Read the full release below.

National Council on Aging (COA) and the Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER) at Boston University School of Social Work have partnered to bring discounted online learning to senior center staff.

The Behavioral Health in Aging certificate program focuses on expanding capacity to help older adults improve their mental health.

Brain Awareness Week is a time to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Brain health affects many aspects of life, including how we think, feel, act, and relate to others. Many factors can affect brain health, including age-related changes in the brain, injuries such as stroke, mood disorders, substance use disorder, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Dementia is a term used to describe different brain disorders that affect memory, thinking, behavior and emotion. Early symptoms of dementia can include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language and changes in personality.

There is currently no cure for dementia, but a range of support is available for people with dementia and their care givers. 

Fast Facts: