Falling Injury Statistics and information
Statistics and information about the "falling epidemic."
We tend to worry more about things over which we have no control.
So, we worry about attacks from terrorists or airline crashes: not auto accidents or accidental
falls.
But, statistically, an accidental fall is the major injury threat to our health, especially as we get older.
From the Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC):
Note that this statistic is for ALL age groups, not just the elderly!
--- Some
Sobering Statistics ---
If you are 65 or older,
you have a 1 in 4 chance
of having an accidental fall this year.
The
most common serious injury from falling is a hip fracture.
More than 24 percent of all people suffering a hip fracture die
within a year of falling, and another 50 percent never return to
their prior level of mobility and independence.
Most fatal falls occur at home.
The National
Safety Council reports that 54 percent of all falling-related
deaths
of
older people are caused by seniors falling down at home,
and 20 percent of those fatal falls occur in residential institutions.
According to the American
Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS),
accidental falls
are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in the US,
and the primary
cause of fatal injuries for Americans 65 and older.
Most
injuries come
from striking a hard floor.
The number of fatal falls among older Ohioans increased
more than 202 percent from 2000-2015.
~ Ohio Department of Health
Every
week,
accidental falls send 60,000 adults
to the emergency room, and over 400 die as a result.
