Substance Use and Addiction
Online Resources for Alcohol Use Disorder
This list is designed to help primary health care and clinical care providers assess and discuss with persons aged 65 or older, the potential risks of alcohol consumption. It also contains information on how to support primary care providers in safely discontinuing, and or managing alcohol use.
| Topic Area | Resource | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention | A site for mentoring, educating, and clinical training for addiction in primary and hospital integration | A provincial initiative to support health care providers in treating people struggling with substance use disorders | Mentoring, Education, and Clinical Tools for Addiction: Primary Care-Hospital Integration |
| Alcohol Use in Older Adults | Clinical conversations starters on alcohol-related risks and harms that impact older adults | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health | |
| Screening | The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) | Validated screening tools for alcohol use disorder in older adults | World Health Organization |
| The Short MAST-GERIATRIC VERSION (SMAST-G) | The Vermont Suicide Prevention Center | ||
| Senior Alcohol Misuse Indicator (SAMI) Tool | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health | ||
| Resources for Alcohol, Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment | Canadian Centre on Substance and Addiction | ||
| Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Tool | This tool is designed to support primary care providers (family physicians and nurse practitioners) in screening, diagnosing and implementing pharmacotherapy treatments for adult patients (>18 years old) with AUD. | Centre for Effective Practice | |
| Assessment | MoCA Test | Validated tools and education about cognitive impairment in older adults with AUD | Dr. Ziad Nasreddine |
| Alcohol-Related Cognitive Impairment | Drink Wise, Age Well | ||
| Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-A) | Scoring systems that physicians and nurses can use to assess the severity of alcohol withdrawal and monitor response to treatment | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health McMaster University |
|
| Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) | American Addiction Centres | ||
| Treatment | Alcohol and Drug Peer Support Groups | Peer support resources for AUD | LifeRing Canada |
| Peer Support Groups | All Addictions Anonymous | ||
| Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide | Behavioural interventions to support AUD treatment | National Institute on Drug Abuse | |
| The Primary Care Addiction Toolkit | A primary care addiction toolkit in which it offers resources for treating alcohol issues in older adults | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health | |
| Management of Alcohol Use Disorders in Older Adults | Clinical guidance on management of AUD in older adults | National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly | |
| Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Brief Guide | Evidence on the effectiveness of available medications for the treatment of AUD and developed guidance for the use of medications in clinical practice | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Division of Pharmacologic Therapies |
[updated May 11, 2020]