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The relationship between discharge medications and falls in post‐hospitalised older adults: A 6‐month follow‐up
Author(s) -
Lam Kenneth,
Lee DenChing A.,
Lalor Aislinn F.,
Stolwyk Rene,
Russell Grant,
Brown Ted,
McDermott Fiona,
Haines Terry P.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12628
Subject(s) - medicine , confidence interval , hospital discharge , depression (economics) , rate ratio , incidence (geometry) , falls in older adults , injury prevention , poison control , emergency medicine , physical therapy , physics , optics , economics , macroeconomics
Objective To identify discharge medications, especially psychotropic medications that are associated with falls, amongst older adults within 6 months following hospitalisation. Methods Negative binomial regression was used to examine relationships between discharge medications and falls in older post‐hospitalised adults. Multiple regression that considered falls risk factors at discharge was performed. Results Data for 267 participants showed that discharge medications were not independently associated with falls postdischarge after adjustment for other falls risk factors. Male gender (adjusted incidence rate ratio [95% confidence interval, CI ]) 2.15 [1.36‐3.40]), higher depression scores (1.14 [1.05‐1.25]) and co‐morbidity of neurological disease other than stroke (5.98 [3.08‐11.60]) were independently associated with an increased rate of falls. Higher depression scores (1.20 [1.11‐1.31]) and co‐morbidity of cancer (1.97 [1.20‐3.25]) were independently associated with an increased rate of injurious falls in the 6 months postdischarge. Conclusion Falls prevention strategies, other than hospital discharge medication management in the postdischarge older adults, warrant investigation.