Falls are a growing health problem for older adults, and there are many myths about falling. The most important message we can share with our communities is that falls are preventable (PDF). Washington State Department of Health created a fall prevention awareness campaign, “Finding Our Balance, prevent slips, trips and stumbles,” that includes a fall prevention awareness toolkit.
Falls in Washington state 2020:
- Thirty-one percent of adults aged 65 yrs. and older experienced a fall (1)
- In 2020, 90,535 adults 62 yrs. and older experienced a fall (1); 62 percent of those falls occurred in the home (2)
- In 2021 – 2022, on average, there were 7,810 EMS fall-related calls each month for adults 65 yrs. and older (2)
- 29,140 emergency department visits were due to a fall for adults 60 yrs. and older (3)
- 19,866 Washington residents aged 65 yrs. and older were hospitalized for a fall related injury (4)
- In Washington state 49 percent of all injury-related deaths for adults aged 60 yrs. and older are due to unintentional falls (5)
- Fall related injuries accounted for 57 percent of all injury related deaths in adults aged 65+ yrs.
- People with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease accounted for 23 percent of all fall-related hospitalizations in Washington State (4)
References:
- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
- \Washington EMS Information System (WEMSIS)
- WA State Dept. of Health Rapid Health Information Network (RHINO)
- WA Hospital Discharge Data, Comprehensive Hospitalization Abstract Reporting System (CHARS).
- Washington State Dept. of Health Center for Health Statistics, Death Certificate Data, Community Health Assessment Tool (CHAT)
Contact and Connect
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