Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Irregular Medication Use Puts Seniors at Risk for FallingBiological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 5). This new information comes from a recent study of Boston-area residents over age 70, which found that those who sometimes neglected their medications experienced a 50 percent increased rate of falls compared with those who did not. “Falls can now be added to the growing list of poor health outcomes associated with non-adherence to medication,” said lead author Sarah D. Berry, MD, MPH, a research scientist with the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston. “Because non-adherence is common and easy to screen for, health care providers should discuss this subject with their patients.” Berry and her co-authors are the first investigators to study the association between falls and medication adherence. The team used data gathered from subjects in the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly of Boston (MOBILIZE Boston) Study, a community-based cohort of seniors recruited for the purpose of studying novel risk factors for falls. They examined responses from a total of 246 men and 408 women with an average age of 78. Between 2005 and 2008, 376 individuals in this group reported a total of 1,052 falls. A participant was characterized as having low medication adherence if he or she answered yes to any of the following questions: Do you ever forget to take your medications? Are you careless at times about taking your medications? When you feel better do you sometimes stop taking your medications? Sometimes if you feel worse when taking your medication, do you stop taking it? High adherence was defined as a “no” answer to every question. In total, 48 percent of the respondents were classified as having low medication adherence. Those in the low-adherence group experienced falls at an annual rate of 1.5 times that of the high adherence group. This association persisted after adjusting for other variables, including age, sex, cognitive function, and total number of medications. The journal article’s authors were supported by the Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Awards Program, the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged/Harvard Research Nursing Home Program funded by the National Institutes of Health, and an unrestricted grant from Pfizer, Inc. Practical Devices to Improve Patient Compliance (avoid irregular medication) | Other Fall Prevention devices. HIProtector Fall Prevention Devices News ReleaseNEWS RELEASE Contact: Stefan Solvell solvell@HIProtector.com 1-800-930-9255 No Monthly Fee personal emergency medical alarm only $199.Wellesley, MA --e-pill, LLC the leading provider of medication reminder products in the USA (www.epill.com), has recently added a medical alarm with no monthly fees to its HIProtector fall prevention product line. | More Fall Prevention items. “The HIProtector Medical Alarm is an economical device that addresses important issues facing families trying to allow an aging baby boomer to continue to live independently at home”, said Stefan Solvell, President of e-pill, "with no monthly fees ever". Regardless of the unwanted event at home - accident, stroke, heart attack, or other medical emergency ... e-pill Help-At-Hand calls your caregiver (daughter or son or other selected individual) and informs them of the emergency. Use your cellular phone ("cell phone") or regular phone to monitor the patient. Works with all brands of phones and cell-phones: Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Verizon wireless, Sprint, Cingular, T-Mobile, Samsung, LG. e-pill PERS Model 911 comes complete with TWO Personal Help Buttons (pendants) - HIS and HERS (first Bed-Room, second Around the Neck for Day Time use) - Works All Around the House! ONLY $199.00 with no monthly fees ever. This unit is an ideal gift for the holidays and is available on-line (http://www.hiprotector.com/pers.html) or by calling toll-free 1-800-930-9255. The award winning e-pill product line includes pill organizers & automatic pill dispensers, electronic medicine reminders, pill boxes, pill timers, multi-alarms, vibrating watches with many daily alarms, and medication adherence recorders. Contact: Malin Odell, odell@hiprotector.com; 1-800-930-9255 This news release has been published on: PR Web The Mature Market Headline “Hip Ideas” for Fall Prevention in Elderly Summary Innovative fall prevention website gives tips & techniques for elderly patients Keywords FALL PREVENTION, HIP PROTECTORS, ELDERLY, HIP FRACTURES, HIP PROTECTOR, HIP PADS, SAFEHIP, E-PILL, FALL PREVENTION PROGRAM, ELDER CARE, MEDICAL ALARM Wellesley, MA-October 12, 2004: One in every three senior citizens fall every year. In the frail elderly, the fall often results in hip fractures or other injuries. Many seniors suffer from fear of falling and, as a result, become inactive and dependent on others. A new website effectively addresses worries about falls and fractures and may help seniors regain confidence and remain active in daily life. This free website (www.HIProtector.com) offers tips and techniques to help prevent falls and fractures in seniors at home, or in nursing homes. “By introducing everyday fall prevention tips and promoting the use of hip protectors and fall prevention devices, we wanted to give simple and comprehensive guidance to patients suffering from osteoporosis and a history of falls – as complements or alternatives to expensive drug therapy that often have unpleasant side effects and long onset time”, says Malin Odell, Product Manager, HIProtector®. “Hip protectors are widely used in Europe, with Scandinavia in the lead. With this website we intend to create awareness about hip protectors among U.S. consumers and healthcare professionals”, says Stefan Solvell, President of e-pill, LLC, the company launching the HIProtector® website. HIProtector® imports one of its high quality hip protector brands from Denmark (HIPS for women and men). Other HIProtector® models include SAFEHIP, the world’s most sold hip protector, CuraMedica, the incontinence friendly hip protector, and HipGuard, the exterior hip protection belt used among seniors for outdoor activities. All HIProtector® brands are of the external, energy shunting type – the only type tested in scientific studies published in peer reviewed medical journals. HIProtector® also introduces devices such as the Fall Prevention Medical Alarm and the Fall Prevention Light Controller (Dimmer). The website may be an important resource for seniors, caregivers, and professionals in geriatrics and elder care. Visit www.HIProtector.com to learn new and simple ways to prevent falls and fractures. See this news release published: PR Web The Mature Market |
 We accept credit cards: AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diner's Club Non-Returnable: Hip Prtectors are non-returnable for hygiene reasons. e-pill, LLC makes no implied or express guarantee that its products or devices will prevent injury. Please note that none of the hip protector products on the US market have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for the prevention of hip fractures. SafeHip® & HipGuard™ Regain Confidence - Prevent Inactivity! e-pill, LLC | HIProtector® 49 Walnut Street, Bldg. 4 Wellesley, MA 02481, USA www.HIProtector.com (781) 239-2941 | 1-800-930-9255 | fax (781) 235-3252 Copyright 2001,'02,'03,'04,'05,'06,'07,'08,'09,'10 |