As someone who is older and in chronic pain this is an interesting subject. When the pain is less, look out, I am one productive citizen fully engaged in life, friends, and family. The work gets done and then some. 
Pain level up I go silent and the battle is on to just take care of basic personal maintenance. 
Who would not choose to have an active life over simply existing?  We in the last years of our lives tend to look at things like that. 
As the pressure is on the medical profession to push people off their pain meds I guarantee that some of these people are older and genuinely suffering from a life of hard work and injury. 
When they put out their statistics I hope there is some due consideration. The days of being in the hospital and hearing people screaming in pain were only the barest tip of the iceberg.