Medication-Related Falls in Older People

Comprising a single repository of knowledge and§scientific evidence in the field, this book provides strategies to mitigate§fall risk by providing information on the complex interactions between aging§processes, co-morbid conditions and prescribed medications in older patients.§§Geriatric health is becoming a more prominent§issue as the population ages, and balancing the beneficial effects of medication§against the potential and real side-effects in these patients involves a§deliberate and thoughtful task: physiologic aging, the accumulation of§co-morbidities, and the use of drugs to manage various conditions and symptoms§generates a unique set of problems for each patient.§§Falls are a dreaded event in older people. The§event can affect a person in a physical, and psychological manner, resulting in§soft tissue and bony injury, fear of falling, and depression. The§identification of and reduction in fall risks in older people is a worldwide§concern, and reducing the incidence of falls is a ubiquitous quality measure of§health care delivery. Heterogeneity amongst older people precludes a single§solution. However, physicians and others involved in the care of geriatric§patients will benefit from the presented insights into how medication use can§be modified to limit its impact as a contributing factor.§