Awareness of medication related falls and preferred interventions among the elderly

Abstract

Falls are a major problem among the elderly and can lead to serious injury. Adults older than 65 years suffer the greatest number of severe falls. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perception of medication related falls as well as preferred medication related fall prevention programs in the local population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the elderly patients in a tertiary hospital. A total of 86 patients (n=86) were interviewed. Approximately 23.3% (20 patients) of the elderly had a history of falls over the past 6 months. Majority of the elderly considered falls as a major concern (80 patients, 93%) and is preventable (55 patients, 64%). Patients with a medical condition reported a significantly greater number of falls within the past 6 months (p<0.001). Approximately 69% (59 patients) of the elderly were aware of their medication and associated risk of falls. In patients that were unaware of medication associated risk of falls, 81.5% (22 patients) had a potentially inappropriate medication preferred preventive interventions for medication related falls were related to strength and training programs (37 patients, 43%). The knowledge of falls, medication related falls and intervention strategies in the elderly were minimal.