Citation

Cadwell S, Dearmon V, VandeWaa EA. J. Nurse Pract. 2017; 13(4): e191-e194.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.nurpra.2016.10.018

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Falls in elderly patients with dementia are common and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Psychotropic medications used to treat dementia are discouraged and may contribute to patient falls. Evidence-based clinical guidelines for appropriate antipsychotic use in this population exist. A nurse practitioner-led team used evidence-based tools to reduce psychotropic medication use in residents with dementia on a memory care unit and evaluated the effect on patient falls. Despite evidence linking falls to psychotropic medications, a reduction in resident falls was not found.

Language: en