Abstract
This project is undertaken in an effort to develop awareness among the community regarding the elderly and their impacted health due to the excessive use of prescription drugs. It is hoped that the information provided here will help in improving the health conditions of the older adults and improve their quality of life. This project was developed after reviewing relevant literature regarding the needs and special issues of the elderly adults. This study employs quantitative research methods that rely on secondary data analysis obtained from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA), which gathered data from a sample of 1,789 participants. The data was analyzed using multivariate analysis specifically, multivariate regression analysis to understand the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. This project's findings indicate that the use of prescription drugs among the elderly has an impact on all areas of their health, although the areas of mental health and physical abilities showed the strongest negative association. While other areas, such as cognitive functioning had a minor effect. Although prescription drugs are prescribed to treat major ailments and complaints, the health care system lacks a tracking protocol for prescription drugs for each patient and with multiple care providers; the use of prescription drugs becomes more complex. The issues of ageism and the society's view of the elderly add to the reality of the problem. Further studies that represent only this population are needed so that future planning and policy changes reflect the issue of prescription drug use and its effects on the health of the elderly. It is important to create awareness among the community in order to understand and advocate for changes that benefit this population in regards to health care and social services. It is imperative that social and human service professionals increase their knowledge and awareness on this issue and how it influences the quality of life of the elderly in order to develop appropriate interventions and treatment plans. Immediate attention to this issue is due as the elderly population continues to grow and their needs continue to be unmet.