Could a New Medication Be the Cause of Mom’s Increased Falls?

Dear Carol: My mom’s had a lot of health problems in her life, so her prescription list is long. Yet, sure enough, after her last doctor visit, she got yet one more prescription. Now, just a week after starting this new medication, she’s fallen three times. She frequently fell before, so I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but this seems extreme. Could medications cause this? Is this okay that she has so many medications? – WM

Dear WM: One of the vital things that we do as caregivers is to assist our older adult family members in taking medications as prescribed, and question prescriptions that could be unnecessary. Questioning doesn’t mean that we should be antagonistic toward a doctor but asking details about prescriptions is just common sense. Therefore, respectful inquiries should be welcomed by physicians.

There are, of course, other reasons that your mom has started falling frequently. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can have a significant effect on an older person even if there is no reported pain. These effects can range from confusion to, yes, increased falling. For this reason, you could mention it to the doctor as a possibility.

Why so many drugs?: In the past, piling up medications seemed to be nearly automatic…

Continue reading about drugs that can increase the risk of falls for our elderly relatives: