

Medical Costs of Fatal and Nonfatal Falls in Older Adults. Florence CS, Bergen G, Atherly A, Burns ER, Stevens JA, Drake C.Traumatic brain injuries evaluated in U.S. Jager TE, Weiss HB, Coben JH, Pepe PE.Majority of hip fractures occur as a result of a fall and impact on the greater trochanter of the femur: a prospective controlled hip fracture study with 206 consecutive patients. Parkkari J, Kannus P, Palvanen M, Natri A, Vainio J, Aho H, Vuori I, Järvinen M.Impact near the hip dominates fracture risk in elderly nursing home residents who fall. Hayes WC, Myers ER, Morris JN, Gerhart TN, Yett HS, Lipsitz LA.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP).Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.Journal of Trauma–Injury, Infection and Critical Care 2001 50(1):116–9 Geriatric falls: injury severity is high and disproportionate to mechanism. The cost and frequency of hospitalization for fall–related injuries in older adults. Incidence of and risk factors for falls and injurious falls among the community-dwelling elderly. Gender differences in seeking care for falls in the aged Medicare Population. Stevens JA, Ballesteros MF, Mack KA, Rudd RA, DeCaro E, Adler G.Falls and Fall Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years - United States, 2014. Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI).Preventing Falls: A Guide to Implementing Effective Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs.CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions: What Works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults, 3rd Edition.Healthcare providers can help cut down a person’s risk by reducing the fall risk factors listed above. The more risk factors a person has, the greater their chances of falling.

Most falls are caused by a combination of risk factors. throw rugs or clutter that can be tripped over.Even some over-the-counter medicines can affect balance and how steady you are on your feet. Use of medicines, such as tranquilizers, sedatives, or antidepressants.Vitamin D deficiency (that is, not enough vitamin D in your system).Many risk factors can be changed or modified to help prevent falls. Research has identified many conditions that contribute to falling. What Conditions Make You More Likely to Fall? When a person is less active, they become weaker and this increases their chances of falling. This fear may cause a person to cut down on their everyday activities. Many people who fall, even if they’re not injured, become afraid of falling.An older person who falls and hits their head should see their doctor right away to make sure they don’t have a brain injury. These can be very serious, especially if the person is taking certain medicines (like blood thinners). Falls can cause broken bones, like wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures.4,5 These injuries can make it hard for a person to get around, do everyday activities, or live on their own. But one out of five falls does cause a serious injury such as a broken bone or a head injury. 11 Medicare and Medicaid shouldered 75% of these costs.

