Falling Accidents In Older Adults

Posted on by NCHS

We have released a new report entitled Fall injury episodes among noninstitutionalized older adults: United States, 2001–2003.
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From the report:

Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal medically attended injuries in the United States (1). Injuries caused by falls are more prevalent among adults aged 65 years and over compared with younger persons, occurring in 2005 at a rate of 76 episodes per 1,000 population among persons aged 65 years and over and 36 episodes per 1,000 population among persons under age 65 (CDC unpublished data, 2005). Annually, one in three Americans over age 65 years experiences a fall, and many of these falls are recurrent (2,3). Falls are associated with numerous morbidities, decreased quality of life, and high health care costs (4–6).

The report is available for download.

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Page last reviewed: September 21, 2007
Page last updated: September 21, 2007