Medications, Mobility, and the Rise in Falls — What Every Senior Should Know

Medications, Mobility, and the Rise in Falls — What Every Senior Should Know

Falls are now one of the leading causes of death among older adults— claiming more than 41,000 lives in 2023. That’s more than deaths from breast or prostate cancer, car crashes, or overdoses combined. A new report in JAMA Health Forum warns: the rise in fall deaths is not just from aging—it’s tied to the medications many older adults take every day.

Doctors call them fall-risk–increasing drugs (FRIDs)—medicines that can make you dizzy, drowsy, or unsteady. These include sleep aids, anxiety medications, opioids, antidepressants, gabapentin, and blood pressure pills that can lower blood pressure too much or slow reflexes.

Among seniors hospitalized after a fall, 65% to 93% were taking at least one FRID. And because most older adults take five or more prescriptions, the combined effect of these drugs becomes even riskier —especially when frailty is already present.

The good news? Many of these falls are preventable.
* Ask your doctor for a yearly “medication check-up.”
* Never stop meds abruptly—but do ask if safer alternatives exist.
* Strengthen your “vitality reserve” with balance, mobility, and strength training.
* Stay hydrated and rise slowly to avoid dizziness from low blood pressure.

Falls aren’t an inevitable part of aging—they’re a warning sign. Managing medications and movement together is one of the best ways to stay independent and prevent crisis before it happens.

Source: Farley T.A. “Risky Prescribing and the Epidemic of Deaths From Falls.” JAMA Health Forum 2025.

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