Deprescribing to Reduce Injurious Falls Among Older Adults With Dementia

Deprescribing to Reduce Injurious Falls Among Older Adults With Dementia

STOP-FALLS-D is an educational intervention to inform and activate patients, their care partner(s), and their primary care providers to work together to reduce use of central nervous system (CNS) active medications and prevent adverse outcomes (falls and injuries) associated with their use.

The study design is a pragmatic, one-arm pilot trial to test the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a deprescribing intervention with older people with dementia and their care partners in primary care. The intervention consists of patient-facing educational brochures on CNS-active medications and decision support for the primary care provider. Ethnic/minority groups will be over-sampled to ensure a diverse study sample.

Older Adult Sample

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed dementia (dementia diagnosis code or prescription for dementia medication)
• Receiving primary care at a Kaiser Permanente Washington integrated group practice outpatient clinic
• Prescribed at least one CNS-active medication on a chronic (3 months or more) basis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Skilled nursing facility resident
• Current cancer diagnosis
• On hospice or palliative care

Care Partner Sample

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 years or older
• Self-identify as a care partner for the older adult with dementia