About 27% of Americans over 65 live alone, roughly 15 million people. For each of them, a fall at home starts a clock that no one else is watching. A fall at 30 is usually a bruise and a story. After 65, it is one of the most serious things that can happen at home, and falls are the leading cause of injury death for older adults in both the United States and Canada.
Fall Death Rates
Fall death rates in the US are about 70 per 100,000 for adults 65 and older nationally. The 21% increase since 2018 is measured on an age-adjusted basis. Fall mortality among older adults is not spread evenly across the map. Among US adults 65 and older, the rate ranges from 158 per 100,000 in Wisconsin, the highest, down to 30 in Alabama, the lowest, a gap of more than fivefold.
The senior years are not one stage but several, and the danger steepens with each one. The fall death rate rises from 19 per 100,000 at ages 65 to 74, to 75 at 75 to 84, to 339 at 85 and older. The oldest group faces a rate nearly 18 times that of the youngest seniors.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
