Opioid use disorder, pain, and cognitive impairment in older adults who have experienced homelessness

Our report is among the first to describe OUD among older adults who have experienced homelessness. Currently and formerly homeless older adults with OUD are younger, on average, and more likely to be female, than those without OUD. They are more likely to report pain but less likely to exhibit cognitive impairment. Possible explanations for these observations include care engagement, untreated pain, and a survivor effect wherein older adults with OUD who survive homelessness may have traits that protect them from cognitive decline and fatal overdose.