Preventing falls among older people starts with understanding risk
US surveys show that falls are an important cause of injury and death among people over 65, with approximately 1 in every 4 reporting a fall. Many falls can be prevented. Professional assessment of medicines, balance, muscle strength and other factors, followed by appropriate measures, can help reduce risk. Families and communities can both take part.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: Older Adult Falls Data | Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC · Original language: en
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Facts from the sources
Falls are the leading cause of injury among US adults aged 65 or older. View source
More than 14 million older people in the United States, approximately 1 in every 4, report a fall each year. View source
Falls are a leading cause of injury deaths among US adults aged 65 or older, and fall-related death rates are increasing. View source
The age-adjusted fall death rate among older Americans rose from 64.7 per 100,000 in 2018 to 78.4 per 100,000 in 2024, an increase of 21%. View source
CDC information suggests addressing rising fall deaths through screening and management of risk factors, such as medicines that may increase fall risk and poor strength or balance. Consult professionals about specific screening and interventions. View source
Falls among older people are common and costly, but preventable. View source
For older people and families
If the older person has fallen in the past year, even with only a scrape, tell the doctor at the next appointment so they can assess the risk.
Bring their medication list and regularly ask a doctor or pharmacist whether any medicine may affect balance or increase fall risk.
Ask a doctor or rehabilitation professional which balance and strength exercises are suitable, and support gradual practice.
Treat falls as preventable. Rather than restricting activity out of fear, respond with an informed approach.
See what care and community teams can do
Communities can organise initial fall-risk screening, with questionnaires designed by healthcare professionals and referral arrangements in place.
For medication reviews, obtain informed consent from the older resident and their family and involve pharmacists and general practitioners.
A rehabilitation therapist should plan balance or strength training and group participants by ability rather than using a one-size-fits-all programme.
When citing overseas figures, state that they come from the United States and are not local incidence rates. Gradually record falls in your own community.
What needs local assessment
The figures come from the US CDC and related statistics and do not directly describe China. The figure of 1 in every 4 reporting a fall is a population self-report proportion, not an individual probability. Rising fall-related mortality describes US population data; circumstances differ greatly across China. All screening, medication adjustments and rehabilitation training require assessment by local healthcare professionals. This content is for information only and cannot replace clinical advice. Organisations in China should consider local conditions and staffing, begin with a sample assessment and avoid copying overseas approaches directly. Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The original materials are freely available on the CDC website. This site and its suggestions for China are not endorsed by the CDC, HHS or the US government. Their images and logos have not been reproduced.
Sources
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Was this article helpful?
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