Drugs, Falls, and Fires

Research suggests that two-thirds of US adults aged 65 and older use at least three prescription medications. Meanwhile, older adults are twice as likely as the general population to experience a fatal fire, and deaths and injuries from accidental falls have skyrocketed in this age group over the last decade. It begs the question: Do certain prescription drugs increase the fall and fire risks for older adults? Our guest Jamie McAllister spent months working on a Fire Protection Research Foundation project to analyze existing research on the relationships between drugs, falls, and fires. Today on the podcast, we talk to McAllister about what she and her team discovered and what it could mean for public-safety educators.     Links: Read the Fire Protection Research Foundation report, "Review of Impact of Medications on Older Adult Fall and Fire Risk"   Read an NFPA Journal feature article on NFPA's new fire and fall prevention program for older adults   If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can reach the NFPA Podcast at [email protected].