Heidi Williams is the Director of Opioid Response for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. Previously, she served as the elected mayor of Thornton from 2011-2019 and served on multiple regional boards. She is co-founder of Food for Hope, which feeds hungry kids and families on the weekend in Adams County. Heidi also serves on the Board of Directors for Front Range Community College Foundation, as Vice Chair for Scouts BSA in the Valley District, and as Board President for Ralston House Child Advocacy.

Heidi discusses the following questions:

• What are triggers that can cause drug addiction in those over age 60?
• What are the signs of addiction to look for in the aging population?
• What are the risks that the aging population may have to deal with around substance use disorder?
• How does Rx drug abuse affect the economy over all?
• What should aging adults do to prevent misuse of their own prescription opioids?
• What resources are available for aging adults to prevent or address substance use disorder?

Dr. John Douglas is the Executive Director of the Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) in Colorado, which serves Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas Counties and is the largest local health department in Colorado.

Prior to joining TCHD, Dr. Douglas served as Director of the Division of STD Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and Chief Medical Officer of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at CDC.

John brings us up to date regarding the status of COVID-19 in Colorado.

If you have questions or need services, Jayla urges you to contact the Area Agency on Aging. They will try to answer your questions and help you through your challenges. Please call 303-480-6700 to speak with one of Jayla’s staff.

Thanks for listening to No Copay Radio! You can hear all of our past No Copay Radio broadcasts on www.nocopayradio.com. We also have a Facebook page at No Copay Radio. Please email us at nocopayradio@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or recommendations for future topics.

As always, thank you to our partner, Denver Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging and AARP. You can reach the Area Agency on Aging at (303) 480-6700 or at www.drcog.networkofcare.org. Our past broadcasts are also available on the Network of Care website.