A population based caregivers profile and training needs assessment in Oklahoma.

Background and Objectives: Studies indicate an expected population growth of almost fifty percent in Oklahomans aged 65 and older by 2030. According to the United Health Foundation, Oklahoma ranked 48th in overall senior health in 2017. Research Design and Methods: The Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative administered a Consumer Needs Assessment Survey by mail to a stratified random sample of the 475,518 registered voters aged 65 and older. The survey was anonymous and stratified by region. The survey contained six sections: introduction, health and health promotion, activities/recreation, information and assistance, caregiving and "about you." Results: Nearly one in three (32%) of respondents indicated that they directly or indirectly provide care to another, with another 9% responding they maybe provide care, and the remaining 59% responding no. Nearly 10% of people who say they are not caregivers reported that they participate at least one day a week in caring for a sick or invalid spouse, family member, or friend living with them, indicating current estimates of the number of caregivers is low. Discussion and Implications: Those who report they are or are maybe caregivers tend to be more interested in community events and more interested in caregiver respite. In addition, maybe caregivers appear to be more interested in health improvement topics and classes, such as health and wellness, mental health, chronic disease, and computers when compared to both caregivers and non-caregivers. Our survey results indicate a need for caregivers to receive respite services as well as training courses in Oklahoma communities.

Assessing the quality and effectiveness of an updated preventive home visit programme for ambulatory frail older Japanese people: research protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To describe the programme and research protocol of our updated preventive home visit programme for ambulatory frail older adults in the Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance system. BACKGROUND: Our previous trials have shown that the nature of recommendations during preventive home visits is a key issue. The present programme has updated our previous one by including a unique structured assessment with treatment recommendations tied to an ongoing programme for quality assurance. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled trial. METHODS: Eligible participants (n = 360) will be randomly assigned to home visit (n = 179) and control (n = 181) groups in three suburban municipalities. Nurses provide recommendations based on structured assessments to participants in visit group every 3 months from September 2011-October 2013. The primary outcomes are parameters related to quality of life, including activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, depression, cognitive capacity, daily-life satisfaction and self-efficacy for health promotion; these are collected by mail at baseline, 12 and 24 months. The secondary outcome is long-term care use over the study period. To evaluate the visit process, we are qualitatively analysing documentation data from the assessment sheet and chart. CONCLUSION: This study is collecting and analysing evidence regarding the process and outcomes of preventive home visits based on structured care-need assessments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered for the UMIN clinical registry approved by ICMJE (No. UMIN000006463, October 04, 2011).

Community fall prevention programs: comparing three InSTEP models by levels of intensity.

The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence designed three progressive-intensity fall prevention program models, Increasing Stability Through Evaluation and Practice (InSTEP), to reduce risk in community-dwelling older adults. Each model included physical activity, medical risk, and home safety components and was implemented as a 12-week program for small class sizes (12-15 people) in community and senior centers. Change in fall rates and fall risk factors was assessed using a battery of performance tests, self-reports of function, and fall diaries in a 3-group within-subjects (N = 200) design measured at baseline, immediately postintervention, and at 3 and 9 months postintervention. Overall, participants experienced a reduction in falls, improved selfperception of gait and balance, and improved dynamic gait function. The medium-intensity InSTEP model significantly (p = .003) reduced self-reported falls in comparison with the other models. InSTEP is a feasible model for addressing fall risk reduction in community-dwelling older adults.

Effects of preventive home visits on health care costs for ambulatory frail elders: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Reducing health care costs through preventive geriatric care has become a high priority in Japan. We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a preventive home visit program on health care costs among ambulatory frail elders. METHODS: Structured preventive home visits by nurses or care managers were provided to the visit group every 6 months over 2 years. The enrolled participants (N = 323) were randomly assigned to either the visit group (N = 161) or the control group (N = 162). We analyzed the health care costs, including the costs for hospitalizations and outpatient clinic utilization for participants who had health care insurance from the local government (N = 307). The visit group included 154 individuals in the visit group and 153 people in the control group. RESULTS: Total health care costs over the study period were not significantly different between groups, but at most monthly time points costs and those for outpatient clinic utilization in the visit group were lower than those in the control group. Hospitalizations, which accounted for more than ¥ 500,000 JPY per month, were less likely to occur more often among participants in the visit group (N = 71) than in the control group (N = 113) (OR = 0.63; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a preventive home visit program may reduce monthly health care costs, primarily by reducing hospitalization costs.

Engaging community-based organizations in fall prevention education.

Falls are a major public health problem for older adults, and community-based organizations play a key role in educating seniors about falls prevention (FP). We conducted a qualitative process evaluation at six sites to report community-based centers' perspectives on adoption, adaptation, and sustainability of an evidence-based multifactorial FP model. Wide dissemination of new health-oriented programs requires marketing to center directors, who must consider sustainability options. The diversity and independence of community-based organizations, together with current staffing and funding limitations, suggest that fidelity to multifactorial evidence-based interventions will be difficult to achieve.

Developing quality indicators for elderly surgical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To develop process-based quality indicators to improve perioperative care for elderly surgical patients. BACKGROUND: The population is aging and expanding, and physicians must continue to optimize elderly surgical care to meet the anticipated increase in surgical services. We sought to develop process-based quality indicators applicable to virtually all disciplines of surgery to identify necessary and meaningful ways to improve surgical care and outcomes in the elderly. METHODS: We identified candidate perioperative quality indicators for elderly patients undergoing ambulatory, or major elective or nonelective inpatient surgery through structured interviews with thought leaders and systematic reviews of the literature. An expert panel of physicians in surgery, geriatrics, anesthesia, critical care, internal, and rehabilitation medicine formally rated the indicators using a modification of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Methodology. RESULTS: Ninety-one of 96 candidate indicators were rated as valid. They were categorized into 8 domains: comorbidity assessment, elderly issues, medication use, patient-provider discussions, intraoperative care, postoperative management, discharge planning, and ambulatory surgery. Of note, 71 (78%) of the indicators rated as valid address processes of care not routinely performed in younger surgical populations. CONCLUSIONS: Attention to the quality of care in elderly patients is of great importance due to the increasing numbers of elderly undergoing surgery. This project used a validated methodology to identify and rate process measures to achieve high quality perioperative care for elderly surgical patients.

Multidimensional preventive home visit programs for community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Multidimensional preventive home visit programs aim at maintaining health and autonomy of older adults and preventing disability and subsequent nursing home admission, but results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been inconsistent. Our objective was to systematically review RCTs examining the effect of home visit programs on mortality, nursing home admissions, and functional status decline. METHODS: Data sources were MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL database, and references. Studies were reviewed to identify RCTs that compared outcome data of older participants in preventive home visit programs with control group outcome data. Publications reporting 21 trials were included. Data on study population, intervention characteristics, outcomes, and trial quality were double-extracted. We conducted random effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: Pooled effects estimates revealed statistically nonsignificant favorable, and heterogeneous effects on mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-1.05), functional status decline (OR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.77-1.03), and nursing home admission (OR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.68-1.10). A beneficial effect on mortality was seen in younger study populations (OR 0.74, 95% CI, 0.58-0.94) but not in older populations (OR 1.14, 95% CI, 0.90-1.43). Functional decline was reduced in programs including a clinical examination in the initial assessment (OR 0.64, 95% CI, 0.48-0.87) but not in other trials (OR 1.00, 95% CI, 0.88-1.14). There was no single factor explaining the heterogenous effects of trials on nursing home admissions. CONCLUSION: Multidimensional preventive home visits have the potential to reduce disability burden among older adults when based on multidimensional assessment with clinical examination. Effects on nursing home admissions are heterogeneous and likely depend on multiple factors including population factors, program characteristics, and health care setting.

Acquisition costs and use of Medicare Part D-excluded drugs in Veterans Health Administration long-stay nursing home residents: a national, descriptive, secondary data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nursing home populations may consist of both short- and long-stay residents, who have different resource use profiles. Differentiating between these two populations is important in any analysis of drug costs and use. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis was to provide national annualized estimates of drug acquisition costs and use of drugs excluded under Medicare Part D for dually eligible long-stay nursing home residents in the US. METHODS: This was a national, descriptive, secondary data analysis. The study population consisted of 6554 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) long-stay nursing home residents (n=136 nursing homes), identified from the Minimum Data Set (MDS), who had an annual assessment during fiscal year (FY) 2005 linked with their 8,847,561 inpatient pharmacy claims. The study data generated were descriptive statistics of the annual drug acquisition costs and use of medications excluded under Medicare Part D. VHA therapeutic drug classes were obtained from FY 2005 national pharmacy claims linked at the individual resident level. RESULTS: The excluded drugs accounted for 3 036 306 of the more than 8.8 million inpatient pharmacy claims, totalling $US3,406,756 or $US526 per resident (99% CI 490, 562). Non-opioid analgesics were received by 73.3% of the residents, totalling $US352,608 or $US73 per resident; 25.3% received antitussives, decongestants, or cold and cough medications, totalling $US27,220 or $US16 per resident; 63.8% received vitamins, totalling $US281,909 or $US67 per resident; 17.7% received benzodiazepines or sedative hypnotics, totalling $US76,083 or $US66 per resident; and 64.3% received laxatives or stool softeners, totalling $US298,326 or $US71 per resident. The total acquisition cost of all drugs was $US23,782,717 for 6554 VHA nursing home residents or $US3629 per resident (99% CI 3343, 3915). CONCLUSION: The cost of Medicare Part D-excluded drugs represented a fraction of the total VHA drug costs for long-stay nursing home residents, accounting for only 14.3% of all drug costs and 34.3% of the more than 8.8 million inpatient pharmacy claims. More research is needed to account for the drug dispensing and administration costs associated with these excluded classes of drugs and their efficacy. Studies of VHA drug acquisition costs provide important policy-relevant data for the Medicare Part D national price negotiation debate, particularly in a US presidential election year.

The Influence of Older Adults' Beliefs and Attitudes on Adopting Fall Prevention Behaviors.

Among Americans aged 65 years and older, falls are the leading cause of injury death and disability, and finding effective methods to prevent older adult falls has become a public health priority. While research has identified effective interventions delivered in community and clinical settings, persuading older adults to adopt these interventions has been challenging. Older adults often do not acknowledge or recognize their fall risk. Many see falls as an inevitable consequence of aging. Health care providers can play an important role by identifying older adults who are likely to fall and providing clinical interventions to help reduce fall risks. Many older people respect the information and advice they receive from their providers. Health care practitioners can encourage patients to adopt effective fall prevention strategies by helping them understand and acknowledge their fall risk while emphasizing the positive benefits of fall prevention such as remaining independent. To help clinicians integrate fall prevention into their practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) initiative. It provides health care providers in primary care settings with resources to help them screen older adult patients, assess their fall risk, and provide effective interventions.

Results from the 2013 Senior's Health Services Survey: Rural and Urban Differences.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast health education needs of rural Oklahomans aged 65 and older compared to urban and sub-urban populations. METHODS: Surveys were distributed to a list of registered voters age 65 and older in Oklahoma with a total of 1,248 surveys returned. Survey items asked about interests in services, classes and activities, plus current barriers to accessing and/or engaging in such programs. FINDINGS: Survey respondents living in large rural towns (23.7%) and the urban core (21.5%) were significantly more likely than those in small rural towns (14.0%) or sub-urban areas (15.5%) to have attended a free health information event in the past year (P=0.0393). Older Oklahomans in small towns and isolated rural areas reported more frequently than those in the urban core that they would participate in congregate meals at a center (small town/isolated rural: 14.4%, urban core: 7.2%) (P=0.05). Lack of adequate facilities was more frequently reported by those residing in small town and isolated rural areas compared to urban core areas (16.4% vs. 7.8%, P=0.01). Finally, older Oklahomans in the large rural towns (0.6%) and small town and isolated rural locations (2.13%) less frequently reported use of senior information lines (Senior Infoline) than those in the urban core (6.0%) and in sub-urban areas (7.1%) (P=0.0009). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this survey provide useful data on senior interests and current barriers to community programs/activities have some unique trends among both urban and rural populations.

Assessing Statewide Need for Older Adult Health Promotion Services: The Oklahoma Experience.

The growing senior population and persistent poor health status of seniors in Oklahoma compels a fresh look at what health promotion services would be well received. Surveys were distributed to a list of registered voters age 65 and older in Oklahoma with a total of 1,248 surveys returned (19.8%). Survey items asked about interests in services, classes, and activities, plus current barriers to accessing and/or engaging in such programs. To account for survey weighting, Rao-Scott Chi-Square Tests were performed to determine differences by demographic characteristics. We identified services, classes, and activities that were (and were not) of interest to seniors in Oklahoma with legal assistance (52.1%), exercise classes (46.6%), internet classes (40.7%), and indoor exercise activities (45.5%) receiving the highest level of interest. Barriers to interest in participating in programs included not wanting to go and not knowing availability of such services. The results of this survey provide useful data on health promotion gaps for seniors, interests and barriers to engaging in such activities, and guidance for statewide program development. Future program development needs to be focused on areas of interest for older adults, including legal assistance, exercise classes, and internet classes.

Risk-adjusted mortality rates of elderly veterans with hip fractures.

PURPOSE: The goal of this research was to estimate 12-month survival rates for a large sample of elderly veterans after hip fracture with a risk-adjusted model and to compare the results of men to those of women. METHODS: The study design was a retrospective, secondary data analysis of national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medicare beneficiaries. The study population was 43,165 veterans with hip fracture first admitted to a Medicare-eligible facility during our specified enrollment period of 1999-2002. Measurement was a Cox proportional hazard model or survival analysis of hip fracture patients with an outcome of death over a 1 year period after discharge controlled by age, gender, and selected Elixhauser comorbidities. RESULTS: The unadjusted, 1 year mortality rates (30 days = 9.7%, 90 days = 17.5%, 180 days = 24%, 365 days = 32.2%) were slightly higher than the adjusted rates (30 days = 8.9%, 90 days = 15.6%, 180 days = 21.8%, 1 year = 29.9%). The mortality odds for women 12 months after hip fracture were 18%, compared with 32% for men. The comorbidity adjustment suggested that the presence of metastatic cancer increased the risk of death by almost 4 times compared with those patients without this diagnosis. Other particularly high-risk conditions included congestive heart failure, renal failure, liver disease, lymphoma, and weight loss, each of which increased the 1 year mortality risk by approximately two-fold. CONCLUSIONS: One in 3 elderly male veterans who sustain a hip fracture dies within 1 year. Our work represents the first large study of hip fractures with a predominantly male sample and confirms that men have a higher mortality risk than women, as reported by previous researchers who used smaller samples that were mostly female. Fracture patients with metastatic cancer, renal failure, lymphoma, weight loss, and liver disease have higher mortality risks. The adverse outcomes associated with hip fracture argue for clinical intervention strategies, such as gait and balance testing, and osteoporosis diagnosis that may prevent fractures in both genders.

A randomized trial of a screening, case finding, and referral system for older veterans in primary care.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether a system of screening, assessment, referral, and follow-up provided within primary care for high-risk older outpatients improves recognition of geriatric conditions and healthcare outcomes. DESIGN: Controlled clinical trial with 3-year follow-up; intervention versus control group allocation based on practice group assignment. SETTING: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ambulatory care center. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred ninety-two community-dwelling patients aged 65 and older identified by postal screening survey. INTERVENTION: The intervention combined a structured telephone geriatric assessment by a physician assistant, individualized referrals and recommendations, selected referral to outpatient geriatric assessment, and ongoing telephone case management. MEASUREMENTS: Main outcomes were VA medical record evidence of recognition and evaluation of target geriatric conditions (depression, cognitive impairment, urinary incontinence, falls, functional impairment), functional status (Functional Status Questionnaire, FSQ), and hospitalization (VA databases and self-reported non-VA usage). RESULTS: Intervention participants were more likely to have target conditions recognized, evaluated, and referred to specialized services within 12 months of enrollment, although there were no significant differences in FSQ scores or acute hospitalization between intervention and control groups at 1, 2, or 3 years follow-up. Subgroup analyses suggested improvements in depression symptoms and functional impairment at 1-year follow-up in intervention participants with these problems at baseline, but these findings were not evident at later follow-up. CONCLUSION: The intervention increased recognition and evaluation of target geriatric conditions but did not improve functional status or decrease hospitalization. Innovative screening methods can identify older people in need of geriatric services, but achieving measurable improvement in functional status or hospitalization rates will likely require a more-intensive intervention than a program involving primarily unsolicited referrals and short-term consultations.

Caring for patients with dementia: how good is the quality of care? Results from three health systems.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the quality of dementia care within one U.S. metropolitan area and to investigate associations between variations in quality and patient, caregiver, and health system characteristics. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty-seven patient-caregiver pairs from three healthcare organizations MEASUREMENTS: Using caregiver surveys and medical record abstraction to assess 18 dementia care processes drawn from existing guidelines, the proportion adherent to each care process was calculated, as well as mean percentages of adherence aggregated within four care dimensions: assessment (6 processes), treatment (6 processes), education and support (3 processes), and safety (3 processes). For each dimension, associations between adherence and patient, caregiver, and health system characteristics were investigated using multivariable models. RESULTS: Adherence ranged from 9% to 79% for the 18 individual care processes; 11 processes had less than 40% adherence. Mean percentage adherence across the four care dimensions was 37% for assessment, 33% for treatment, 52% for education and support, and 21% for safety. Higher comorbidity was associated with greater adherence across all four dimensions, whereas greater caregiver knowledge (in particular, one item) was associated with higher care quality in three of four care dimensions. For selected dimensions, greater adherence was also associated with greater dementia severity and with more geriatrics or neurologist visits. CONCLUSION: In general, dementia care quality has considerable room for improvement. Although greater comorbidity and dementia severity were associated with better quality, caregiver knowledge was the most consistent caregiver characteristic associated with better adherence. These findings offer opportunities for targeting low quality and suggest potential focused interventions.

Frequency of going outdoors predicts long-range functional change among ambulatory frail elders living at home.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between frequency of going outdoors and subsequent functional and psychosocial changes over a 20-month period. Data were collected from community-dwelling 107 frail elders who could walk independently but who still needed some assistance to live on their own. Functional and psychosocial status at baseline and follow-up were compared among three groups defined by the frequency of going outdoors: (1) four or more times a week, (2) one to three times a week and (3) less than once a week. At baseline, elders going outdoors more often were less functionally impaired, more socially active, and less depressed than elders going outdoors less often. There was a significant difference in change over time of activities of daily living (ADLs) (p=0.002) among the three groups, even when controlling for baseline differences, and the scores of those who went outdoors almost daily were least likely to decline. More of those going outdoors four or more times a week at baseline were still living at home at follow-up than those in the other two groups (p=0.048). These results suggest that the frequency of going outdoors can predict changes in ADLs over at least a 20-month period.

A multivariate fall risk assessment model for VHA nursing homes using the minimum data set.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a multivariate fall risk assessment model beyond the current fall Resident Assessment Protocol (RAP) triggers for nursing home residents using the Minimum Data Set (MDS). DESIGN: Retrospective, clustered secondary data analysis. SETTING: National Veterans Health Administration (VHA) long-term care nursing homes (N = 136). PARTICIPANTS: The study population consisted of 6577 national VHA nursing home residents who had an annual assessment during FY 2005, identified from the MDS, as well as an earlier annual or admission assessment within a 1-year look-back period. MEASUREMENT: A dichotomous multivariate model of nursing home residents coded with a fall on selected fall risk characteristics from the MDS, estimated with general estimation equations (GEE). RESULTS: There were 17 170 assessments corresponding to 6577 long-term care nursing home residents. The increased odds ratio (OR) of being classified as a faller relative to the omitted "dependent" category of activities of daily living (ADL) ranged from OR = 1.35 for "limited" ADL category up to OR = 1.57 for "extensive-2" ADL (P < .0001). Unsteady gait more than doubles the odds of being a faller (OR = 2.63, P < .0001). The use of assistive devices such as canes, walkers, or crutches, or the use of wheelchairs increases the odds of being a faller (OR = 1.17, P < .0005) or (OR = 1.19, P < .0002), respectively. Foot problems may also increase the odds of being a faller (OR = 1.26, P < .0016). Alzheimer's or other dementias also increase the odds of being classified as a faller (OR = 1.18, P < .0219) or (OR=1.22, P < .0001), respectively. In addition, anger (OR = 1.19, P < .0065); wandering (OR = 1.53, P < .0001); or use of antipsychotic medications (OR = 1.15, P < .0039), antianxiety medications (OR = 1.13, P < .0323), or antidepressant medications (OR = 1.39, P < .0001) was also associated with the odds of being a faller. CONCLUSIONS: This national study in one of the largest managed healthcare systems in the United States has empirically confirmed the relative importance of certain risk factors for falls in long-term care settings. The model incorporated an ADL index and adjusted for case mix by including only long-term care nursing home residents. The study offers clinicians practical estimates by combining multiple univariate MDS elements in an empirically based, multivariate fall risk assessment model.

Will my patient fall?

CONTEXT: Effective multifactorial interventions reduce the frequent falling rate of older patients by 30% to 40%. However, clinical consensus suggests reserving these interventions for high-risk patients. Limiting fall prevention programs to high-risk patients implies that clinicians must recognize features that predict future falls. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prognostic value of risk factors for future falls among older patients. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Search of MEDLINE (1966-September 2004), CINAHL (1982-September 2004), and authors' own files to identify prospective cohort studies of risk factors for falls that performed a multivariate analysis of such factors. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently determined inclusion of articles and assessed study quality. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Included studies were those identifying the prognostic value of risk factors for future falls among community-dwelling persons 65 years and older. Clinically identifiable risk factors were identified across 6 domains: orthostatic hypotension, visual impairment, impairment of gait or balance, medication use, limitations in basic or instrumental activities of daily living, and cognitive impairment. DATA SYNTHESIS: Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria and provided a multivariate analysis including at least 1 of the risk factor domains. The estimated pretest probability of falling at least once in any given year for individuals 65 years and older was 27% (95% confidence interval, 19%-36%). Patients who have fallen in the past year are more likely to fall again [likelihood ratio range, 2.3-2.8]. The most consistent predictors of future falls are clinically detected abnormalities of gait or balance (likelihood ratio range, 1.7-2.4). Visual impairment, medication variables, decreased activities of daily living, and impaired cognition did not consistently predict falls across studies. Orthostatic hypotension did not predict falls after controlling for other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for risk of falling during the clinical examination begins with determining if the patient has fallen in the past year. For patients who have not previously fallen, screening consists of an assessment of gait and balance. Patients who have fallen or who have a gait or balance problem are at higher risk of future falls.

National Veterans Health Administration hospitalizations for syncope compared to acute myocardial infarction, fracture, or pneumonia in community-dwelling elders: outpatient medication and comorbidity profiles.

The authors used 2 national Veterans Health Administration databases to identify outpatient medications and all 30 Elixhauser comorbidities for 2579 unique patients, age 65+ years, hospitalized for syncope in fiscal year 2004. For comparison, we identified other elderly patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (N = 4491), fracture (N = 2797), or pneumonia (N = 9473). The categories of medications included drugs that affect the cardiovascular, central nervous, or the muscular skeletal system. The most notable differences between syncope compared to acute myocardial infarction patients occurred in central nervous system drugs in anticonvulsants/barbiturates, antidepressants, antihistamine/antinauseants, antipsychotics, and cholinesterase inhibitors (P < .0018). Comparing syncope patients with fracture patients, the central nervous medication profile was similar, but the cardiovascular medication profile differed (P < .0018); their hypertension comorbidities also differed (60.45% vs 46.34%); (P < .0016). These findings indicate significant potential associations that warrant further study. Studies linking national outpatient medications to hospitalizations for specific conditions can foster the development of more proactive pharmacovigilance systems.

Falls and their prevention in elderly people: what does the evidence show?

A large proportion of falls and fall injuries in older people is due to multiple risk factors, many of which probably can be modified or eliminated with targeted fall prevention interventions. These interventions must be feasible, sustainable, and cost effective to be practical for widespread use. The most promising prevention strategies involve multidimensional fall risk assessment and exercise interventions. Incorporating these intervention strategies whenever feasible into a fall prevention program seems to be the most effective means for fall prevention in older adults.

Orthostatic hypotension in the nursing home setting.

Orthostatic hypotension is a common condition among nursing home (NH) residents. NH residents tend to have multiple disease processes and tend to be on multiple medications associated with orthostatic hypotension and are predisposed to a myriad of negative clinical consequences, most notably falls. This article discusses a commonsense approach to diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of patients with this disorder, with an emphasis on nonpharmacological interventions, such as patient and staff education.