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If cost or stigma has kept an older adult in your life from getting help, a new free overdose prevention program in Pennsylvania is worth knowing about.
It is built specifically for adults 55 and older, and it costs participants nothing. The Shapiro Administration launched the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education, known as WISE, through the state departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Aging.
The community-based program aims to lower overdose deaths among older Pennsylvanians and is being piloted in four counties, Berks, Chester, Lawrence, and Lehigh, throughout 2026.
Who Qualifies for This Free Program
Older adults who live in the four pilot counties can join at no charge by contacting their local Area Agency on Aging.
Each county will hold six weekly sessions of about two hours at senior centers and with older adult groups.
Topics include medication management, alcohol use disorder, the aging process, prescription drugs, stress management and healthy living. Participants can learn about the hidden risks of opioids.
Why This Matters for Older Adults
Overdoses among older adults have been rising. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, nearly 600 residents age 55 and older died from an overdose in 2024, about 18 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the state.
Risk factors specific to this age group include changes in metabolism, chronic health conditions and coping with grief and loss.
How Opioid Settlement Funding Keeps It Free
WISE is paid for with money from the Big Four opioid settlement, secured for Pennsylvania when Governor Josh Shapiro was Attorney General.
Most of those dollars go directly to counties to meet local needs, which is what allows the harm reduction program to be offered to participants for free.
Finding Free and Low-Cost Treatment
If you or a loved one needs treatment, cost does not have to be the barrier it once was. Check whether your state offers Medicaid coverage for rehab.
Rehabs.org has a list of free and low-cost treatment options in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
(
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to find affordable care.
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