FAQ: What Should I Tell the Doctors in Urgent Care or the Emergency Room About the Faller's Dementia?

You should be prepared to relay a lot of information. Especially after a fall, it's important that someone accompany a person with dementia to see the doctor, in order to help relay essential facts to the medical team.

Particular information to share with the doctors:

• The stage of your loved one's dementia (mild, moderate, or severe).

• What you know about the fall, including how it happened, how the faller has been since then, and whether there have been other recent falls.

• Any worsening in mental or physical ability compared to the faller's usual abilities. For instance, is the faller more confused than usual or less able to walk? Be sure to mention any changes even if they predate the fall by a few hours or days; sometimes a fall happens because the person has become delirious or weak because of an infection or other illness.

• An up-to-date medication list, including over-the-counter drugs. It's even better to bring all medication bottles in a bag. Be sure to point it out if any medications are new; many commonly prescribed medications can increase an older adult's chance of falling. It's also helpful to note if the faller recently ran out of a usual medication.

• Any other major medical conditions that your loved one is currently being treated for (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, lung problems).

Once you've shared this information with the doctors, try to stay close to your loved one during the whole time he or she is being evaluated. Your familiar presence will provide much-needed reassurance to the person with dementia, and you'll want to be present in case another round of information-sharing becomes needed (which is often the case in the emergency room).