According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, Americans are falling more every year (approximately 1.5%). The reasons for this and what we can do to mitigate the problem are not quite as clear, however. Indeed, one cause for the increase in falls could relate to the fact that we are getting more active in our senior years. The UM study, which was based on an analysis of insurance claims for adults 65 and older from 2016 to 2019, illustrates the following:
4.5 Million
older adults in the U.S. are affected by falls based on studies from 2016-2019.
106, 000
average new fall injuries annually in adults aged 65 and older from 2016-2019.
$15-$30 Billion
is the Medicare cost annually for the injuries and trauma resulting from falls.
1.5%
increase in falls in the U.S annually. However, there is a wide variance in terms of geography, with persons in the Central Plains and Southern states reporting the most falls.
1.8%
average annual increase in fall injuries per 100,000 person-quarters in counties in the 90th percentile and a 5.6% overall increase since 2016.
1.5%
average annual increase in fall injuries per 100,000 person-quarters in counties in the median percentile and a 4.5% increase since 2016.
2.1%
average annual increase in fall injuries per 100,000 person-quarters in counties in the 10th percentile and a 6.4% overall increase since 2016.
75%
higher rate of falls in countries that are in the 90th percentile for injury rates than in countries in the 10th percentile.
