Overview

Facts about falls for seniors living in their own home

One in three people aged over 65 experiences one or more falls each year, with 10-20% of these falls causing serious injuries including fractures. An unintentional fall is the leading cause of injury-related admission for people of all ages to Victorian hospitals and Emergency Departments, with the actual numbers and severity of consequences being greatest for those aged over 75. For more information see:

HAZARD, Edition 54 - Injury profile, Victoria 2001 (3,034kb, pdf) (external link)

In Australia in 1998, there were 1,114 deaths attributed to fall-related incidents for people aged over 65. Forty-five thousand people in this age group were hospitalised for fall-related injuries, each averaging 11 days of hospital care, resulting in a total of 486,484 hospital bed days during this 12-month period. See the Falls by the elderly in Australia report (external link).

Only a relatively small proportion of falls cause serious injuries. However, many falls cause loss of confidence or fear of falling, which over time can result in a person becoming less active, ultimately increasing their risk of falls. All falls, including those that cause no apparent injury, should be reported to a doctor or health practitioner, so that possible contributory factors can be identified and addressed.

Healthcare costs associated with falls among people aged over 65 in Australia have been estimated at $498 million annually (2001 estimate based on AIHW national average unit cost and utilisation 1993-4). If falls rates remain unchanged in Australia, and assuming no technological advances (for example improved surgical techniques to reduce mortality, morbidity, and hospital length of stay following hip fracture), it is projected that costs will almost triple to $1,375 million annually by 2051. This translates to a need for an additional 3,300 additional hospital beds, and 4,630 additional nursing home beds nationally in 2051. See report by Moller J (2003) (external link) - "Projected costs of fall related injury to older persons due to demographic change in Australia".

More recently, the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) reported that the direct cost of falls in older persons in the Victorian health care system in 2002-03 was $323 million. This figure represents 27.5% of total direct hospital costs of unintentional injury for people aged over 65 years (VAED 2002-3).

There is strong research evidence from randomised controlled trials that a range of interventions can be effective in reducing falls among seniors living in their own home. Approaches that have been shown to be effective include exercise such as ( home-based exercise programs or group exercise programs that target balance and strength; and Tai Chi ) , reduction in psychotropic medications, home assessment and behavioural modification by occupational therapists, and multi-factorial interventions. In addition, vitamin D and calcium supplementation has been shown to reduce fall-related fractures. See report by Hill et al (2004) p 41 (external link) -"An analysis of research on preventing falls and falls injury in older people."