Medication Non-Adherence and Falling

According to a study in the Journals of Gerontology, there is an association between medication adherence and falling. Older adults take an average of five prescription medicines daily. But do they take them as prescribed? And if not, does that increase the risk of falling?

That is what researcher Dr. Sarah D. Berry asked when conducting her study. She and her co-researchers at the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston used data gathered from 246 men and 408 women with an average age of 78 years. Their investigation found that among the participants, there were 1,052 falls between 2005 and 2008. Those who did not take their medications as prescribed experienced falls 1.5 times more frequently than those with high compliance. Forty-eight percent of the participants were classified with "low adherence" to their drug regimen. High compliance was achieved by answering NO to all of the questions.

Here are the questions asked of the participants:

1. Do you ever forget to take your medications?
2. Are you careless at times about taking your medications?
3. When you feel better do you sometimes stop taking your medications?
4. Sometimes if you feel worse when taking your medication, do you stop taking it?

Although more studies are needed to reach any conclusions about falls and drug compliance, this research indicates that older adults following their drug regimens may retain independence longer by avoiding falls. Something to think about.

Source: Gerontology News [Gerontological Society of America], June 2010, p. 12.