Solutions & prevention
Medicines for Falls in older people
Falls become more common with age and can cause serious injury and loss of confidence — but many are preventable by addressing their often multiple causes.
Education and reference only. This explains which medicines are used and why, in plain language — it deliberately contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician, and check the BNF and the product labelling for prescribing detail.
Quick answer
What is Falls in older people?
Falls become more common as people get older and are a major cause of injury, loss of independence and reduced confidence. While a single trip can happen to anyone, recurrent falls, or a fall without an obvious cause, usually have one or more underlying reasons that can be addressed.
- How it is treated: Assessment after a fall, or in someone at risk, looks for and addresses the contributing factors, as tackling several together is most effective.
- Self-care: Doing strength and balance exercises, keeping active, having regular eye tests, wearing well-fitting supportive footwear, making the home safer (lighting, removing trip hazards, grab rails), reviewing medicines, and looking after bone health all help prevent falls.
- When to seek help: See a GP after a fall, or about recurrent falls, unsteadiness or fear of falling, for a falls assessment and support.
What it is
Falls become more common as people get older and are a major cause of injury, loss of independence and reduced confidence. While a single trip can happen to anyone, recurrent falls, or a fall without an obvious cause, usually have one or more underlying reasons that can be addressed. These often combine several factors: muscle weakness and poor balance, problems with vision, foot or footwear issues, home hazards (such as loose rugs, poor lighting or clutter), certain medicines (especially several together, or those causing drowsiness or low blood pressure), dizziness or blackouts, low blood pressure on standing, and medical conditions. A fall can cause fractures (particularly of the hip or wrist), head injuries, and a "fear of falling" that leads to reduced activity, which in turn weakens muscles and increases further falls — a cycle worth breaking. Many falls are preventable.
How it is treated
Assessment after a fall, or in someone at risk, looks for and addresses the contributing factors, as tackling several together is most effective. Key measures include strength and balance exercise programmes (which are among the most effective ways to reduce falls), reviewing and reducing medicines that increase risk, checking and correcting vision and treating eye conditions, foot care and suitable footwear, and making the home safer (good lighting, removing hazards, grab rails). Managing blood pressure on standing, dizziness, and any underlying conditions helps, as does ensuring good bone health to reduce fracture risk. Addressing fear of falling and maintaining confidence and activity are important. A structured falls assessment, often by a specialist falls service, coordinates these. The reassuring message is that many falls can be prevented, and independence maintained, by addressing their causes.
For this condition, these medicines
Medicine classes used for Falls in older people
Each links to a full, dose-free guide — what it is, how it works, who can and cannot use it, side effects, interactions and FAQs.
Beyond medication
Lifestyle and self-care
Doing strength and balance exercises, keeping active, having regular eye tests, wearing well-fitting supportive footwear, making the home safer (lighting, removing trip hazards, grab rails), reviewing medicines, and looking after bone health all help prevent falls.
When to get help
When to see a doctor
See a GP after a fall, or about recurrent falls, unsteadiness or fear of falling, for a falls assessment and support. Seek urgent care for a fall with a head injury, a suspected fracture (severe pain or inability to weight-bear), or if the person cannot get up.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
Answers
Falls in older people: frequently asked questions
Are falls just part of getting older?
Falls become more common with age but are not inevitable. Recurrent or unexplained falls usually have addressable causes, and many falls can be prevented — for example with strength and balance exercise, medicine review, and home safety.
What is the best way to prevent falls?
Addressing the several factors together: strength and balance exercises, reviewing risky medicines, correcting vision, good footwear and foot care, making the home safer, and managing blood pressure and health conditions.
Building a patient-information or formulary resource?
We create evidence-led, dose-free clinical references and decision aids for teams.