The Numbers:

Unintentional injuries are the 7th leading cause of deaths among adults ages 65 and older in the United States. Of these deaths, the greatest number results from unintentional fall-related injuries.

Older adults who fall once are 2-3 times as likely to fall again within a year and approximately 25%-35% of community-dwelling people over the ages of 65 fall 1-2 times each year. 60% of all fall-related deaths that occurred in 1996 involved adults 75 years and older.

Age is a Factor:
Advanced age significantly raises the risk of hospital admission due to fall-related injuries. About half of nursing home residents experience falls each year, with 11% suffering serious injuries. Among individuals over 65 living independently, approximately 30% fall annually, with more than half of these incidents occurring at home. This incidence increases to 50% for those over 80.

The Basics of Balance:
Balance is the ability to keep the body’s center of mass over its base of support. Good balance results from the seamless and automatic interaction of multiple systems, providing precise information to our nervous system. We continuously process and evaluate data about the strength, force, timing, and speed of movement. The brain receives signals from sensory receptors in the eyes, inner ears, joints, muscles, and skin, all of which contribute vital information for maintaining balance.

Factors that impact balance:
In people under age 75, falls are most often associated with normal aging, such as loss of strength, visual changes, loss of flexibility, and decreased reflexes. Over the age of 85, the effects of multiple medical conditions and the medications used to treat them become more of a factor. Other factors include:

• Sensation of the feet

• Visual changes

• Inner ear issues

• Cognitive impairment

• Loss of strength

• Loss of flexibility

• Decreased reflexes

  For resources on Fall Prevention, please see our Resources page.