Older Adult Falls

As our population ages, the prevalence of falls among older adults is increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in four older adults report a fall each year. In 2021, 38,742 older adults aged 65 and older died from preventable falls, and nearly 2.9 million were treated in emergency departments. Over the past 10 years, older adult fall deaths have increased 60%, while emergency department visits have increased 20%. At the same time, the number of fall deaths among individuals younger than 65 increased 23%, but emergency department visits have decreased 37%.

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Source: National Safety Council tabulations of National Center for Health Statistics data.

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