Trends in first-time treatment admissions for older adults with alcohol use disorder: Availability of medical and specialty clinical services in hospital, residential, and outpatient facilities

•Older adults seeking treatment for alcohol use might need specialized medical care.•Admissions for older adults with alcohol use disorder increased from 2004 to 2017.•The majority of this population sought treatment in outpatient facilities.•Medications to treat alcohol craving/relapse are not available at most facilities. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a growing problem among older adults. The aim of this study was to quantify trends in first-time treatment admissions for older adults with AUD in the U.S., and examine the medical and specialty clinical services offered by treatment facility type. Patient level data were collected from the Treatment Episode Data Set for Admissions between 2004–2017. Joinpoint regression was used to identify unique trends in first-time treatment admissions for older adults with AUD. Provider level data were collected from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) for the most recent year, 2017. N-SSATS data were grouped by facility type (inpatient/hospital, residential, and outpatient treatment) to examine differences in medications and clinical services. Among all persons seeking first-time treatment for AUD with alcohol as their primary drug of choice (n = 3,606,948), there was a significant increase in the proportion of older adults seeking treatment from 2004 to 2017 (p-trend