Elderly
Fatal and nonfatal falls occur at all ages; however the older adult population is at a higher risk of falling and suffering a long term disability or death from the fall. Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes. The risk of being seriously injured in a fall increases with age. In 2001, the rates of fall injuries for adults 85 and older were four to five times that of adults 65 to 74. People 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer.
Among adults 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of death from injury and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. Falls in the elderly is a growing problem in the United States with over one third of adults over 65 years old reporting a fall every year. In 2000, direct medical costs totaled $179 million for fatal falls and $19 billion for nonfatal fall injuries. By 2020, the annual direct and indirect cost of fall injuries is expected to reach $43.8 billion.
Go to Center for Disease Prevention and Control for Falls Among Older Adults Fact Sheet:
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/adultfalls.htm
And Costs of Falls Among Older Adults:
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm