As our population ages, falls among older adults are becoming more common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in four older adults reports experiencing a fall each year. In 2024, 43,020 individuals aged 65 and older died as a result of preventable falls, and in 2023, over 3.85 million were treated in emergency departments due to fall-related injuries.
Over the past 10 years, the number of fall-related deaths among older adults has increased by 51%, while emergency department visits have risen by 38%. In contrast, the number of fall deaths among individuals younger than 65 has increased by only 8%, and emergency department visits for this age group have decreased by 26%.
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Source: National Safety Council tabulations of National Center for Health Statistics data.