Falls Fact Sheet

• Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC 2006). (2)

• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States (Hornbrook et al. 1994; Hausdorff et al. 2001). (2)

• In 2004, 14,900 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized (CDC 2006). (3)

• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI (Jager et al. 2000). (3)

• In 2000, direct medical costs totaled $0.2 billion ($179 million) for fatal falls and $19 billion for nonfatal fall injuries (Stevens et al. 2006). (5)(2)

• Men are more likely to die from a fall. After adjusting for age, the fall fatality rate in 2004 was 49% higher for men than for women (CDC 2005).

• Women are 67% more likely than men to have a nonfatal fall injury (CDC 2006). (1)

• 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 (Donald et al. 1999). (2)