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Most Falls Can be prevented. Falls are the leading cause of hip fractures in the elderly population in Australia

  • According to the National Council on Aging statistics, every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall.

  • 1 in 3 older adults- about 12 million- fall every year in the U.S.

  • Over ½ of all falls take place at home.

  • More than 80,000 people a year are sent to the hospital for falls due to pets.

  • When an elderly person falls, their hospital stays are almost twice longer than those of elderly patients who are admitted for any other reason.

  • The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than men.

  • Annually, falls are reported by one-third of all people over the age of 65.

  • Two-thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months.

  • Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older.

  • Approximately 9,500 deaths in older Americans are associated with falls each year.

  • More than half of all fatal falls involve people 75 or over.

  • Among people aged 65 to 69, one out of every 200 falls results in a hip fracture. That number increases to one out of every 10 for those aged 85 & older.

  • One-fourth of seniors who fracture a hip from a fall will die within six months of the injury.

  • About ½ to up to ¾ of all adults living in long-term care settings suffer a fall each. This rate is twice as large as the rate of falls which occur for elders living in a community.

  • Injuries from falls account for roughly 36 percent of potentially preventable visits to the hospital emergency room by nursing home patients.

  • Between 16 percent and 27 percent of nursing home falls occur due to environmental hazards such as inadequate lighting or slippery floors within nursing homes.

  • The CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) receives between 100 and 200 reports of nursing home falls each year from average-sized (approx. 100 beds for elder residence) nursing homes.

  • Nursing home falls frequently cause a disability, functional decline, reduced independence, and reduced quality of life for an elderly person. Patients with a fear of nursing home falls may also experience feelings of helplessness, loss of function, depression, anxiety, and social isolation. It is important to take precautions both in and out of a nursing home facility to prevent elderly falls, fractures and injury.

References:

National Council on Ageing (NCOA)

Mayo Clinic

Learn Not to Fall.  “How Often Falls Occur”. Web 2012.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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