They relieve anxiety and help many patients sleep, but benzodiazepines might not be the best choice for many patients — especially over the long term. Still, many older patients were taking these medications. 

Keeping track of when to take which prescriptions can be very confusing. But failing to do so could end in a trip to the hospital. And seniors on psychoactive medications might need to take extra care.

Without the correct medical information, mental health patients can miss medication doses or have bad drug interactions. According to a recent study, elderly mental health patients may be taking medications not listed in their charts.

More and more people have been tragically dying from painkiller overdoses. Healthcare professionals and public health organizations have started to take preventive actions.