Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among people 65 and
older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A
recent USA Today article sheds new light on fall-related
injuries among seniors—a topic that has long been an area of concern
for assisted living providers.
“Falls are much more common—and devastating— than many people
realize, a point driven home by recent news of prominent older people
falling,” the newspaper reports. Sen. Robert Byrd (D- WV), former first
lady Nancy Reagan, and former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden all
fell recently—all are said to be recovering.
In
2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to falls
and about 1.8 million received emergency room treatment for such
injuries, according to the CDC. In 2000, falls cost $19.2 billion.
