What Do You Need to Know about Medications and Your Loved One's Risk of Falling?

What medications your loved one takes and how much of them she takes can be a big part of her fall risk. The more you can educate yourself and your loved one about her medication and how it affects her, the more likely you'll be to help your loved one avoid a fall. Medications Can Interact and Create Issues When your loved one takes more than one medication, it's important to understand how those medications work together and how their side effects combine. Some medications don't affect the others that your loved one is taking, but it's not easy to predict that in advance. Avoid guessing by talking to your loved one's doctor and pharmacist to determine what sort of risk factors your loved one has for falling with the medications she's taking. Some Medications Cause Dizziness or Other Problems Even one medication can have side effects such as dizziness or slower reflexes than usual. In some cases, those problems only show up when your loved one first starts taking the medication. Your loved one might also have issues if the dosage changes. Regardless, check out all new medications thoroughly before your loved one starts taking them. Not Taking Medications Can Create Bigger Problems Another danger to watch for concerning your loved one, falling, and her medication is that sometimes not taking her medication can be worse for her than taking it. Illnesses such as heart problems and blood pressure issues can get far out of control without the right medication. They can also cause your loved one to feel unstable, resulting in a fall. Work with Your Loved One's Doctor The best plan when your loved one has medical concerns and you're worried about her fall risk is to work with her doctor closely. He can monitor her medication and her overall health to determine when adjusting her care plan is in her best interests. If your loved one is nervous about being on her own, consider hiring senior care providers who can stop in and check on your loved one. That way you can both have peace of mind when you're not able to be there. If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Hobe Sound, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200. About the Author – Jack Nicol, Owner BrightStar is a private duty Home Care Agency that provides unskilled and skilled care for people needing assistance in their home or a facility. We opened our agency in Jupiter, FL 6 years ago. Our service area is Northern Palm Beach & Martin Counties. BrightStar is a Home Care Agency not a Nurse Registry. I have always been passionate about helping people. My entire adult life I have focused on giving back to the community. Five years ago when I decided I was not ready for retirement, I founded BrightStar and started a new career. Caring for people in need has proven to be very rewarding and proof that I made the right decision for my new career. BrightStar Home Care is a Joint Commission Accredited Private Duty Home Care Agency. Our goal is to offer superior and passionate caregiving of skilled and unskilled services. We service those in need including special needs children/adults and the elderly throughout our community whether in their home or a facility. Our Joint Commission Accreditation holds our agency to a higher professional standard.