Quick Facts:
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Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults.
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25,000 older adults die every year due to falls
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More than one out of four older adults falls each year, yet less than half report it to their health-care provider
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One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as a broken bone, or head injury.
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More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falls.
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FALLING ONCE doubles your chances of falling again.
For more information, please visit the CDC’s website.
Cost of Falls:
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Each year about $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries and $754 million is spent related to fatal falls.
For more information, please visit the CDC’S website.
Falls in New York
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In New York State, falls remain the number one cause of injury related death and hospitalization for older adults, and more than half of these hospitalizations result in discharge to a nursing home or rehabilitation facility.
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Specifically, in NY state, everyday:
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2 older adults die from a fall
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140 are hospitalized due to a fall
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223 are treated and released from an ED after a fall
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Long Island ranks higher than the NYS average in falls-related incidence and mortality, with Suffolk and Nassau counties ranking 4 and 5 respectively across the state.
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For more information, please visit: Suffolk County Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, Nassau County Community Health Assessment, and the NYS DOH website.