Preventing falls and injuries for older adults
Learn about the impact of falls and injuries on older adults and what you can do to reduce the risk.
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Impact of falls and injuries on older adults
Injuries have a big impact on older adults (aged 65 and over) and caregivers. They are also costly to the Canadian health system.
Falls are the main reason for injury-related hospital visits and deaths in older adults.
We know that:
- 34% of fall-related hospitalizations involved a hip fracture
- falls cause 89% of injury-related hospitalizations for both men and women
- 70% of older adults that had a fall-related injury sought medical attention, most often at a hospital emergency department
We also know that deaths due to falls increased 51% from 2017 to 2022.
Older adults also have the highest death rates as drivers or passengers in car crashes.
Access reports giving statistics on falls among older adults:
- Falls among older adults in Canada
- Seniors' Falls in Canada: Second Report
- Surveillance report on falls among older adults in Canada
- Temporal trends and characteristics of fall-related deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among older adults in Canada
Risk of falls
Falls don't happen just because people get older. However, older adults are at greater risk of falling.
Several factors can make falls more likely to happen, such as:
- poor balance
- muscle weakness
- visual impairment
- inappropriate footwear
- obstacles or tripping hazards
- slippery or uneven walking surfaces
Learn how to reduce the risk of falls:
Preventing falls
Falls can be prevented.
Here are some prevention tips for individuals:
- Get enough sleep.
- Clear your home of tripping hazards.
- Improve your balance and strength through exercise.
Here are some prevention tips for communities:
- Offer exercise programs.
- Teach older adults how they can prevent falls.
- Remove potential hazards such as snow and ice from public walkways.
- Provide assistive devices, such as handrails and grab bars, in public spaces.
Learn how to prevent falls, what to do if you fall or if you see someone falling:
- You can prevent falls!
- What to do after a fall… (poster)
- If you fall or witness a fall, do you know what to do?
- The Safe Living Guide: A Guide to Home Safety for Seniors (PDF, 1,373 KB)
- Canadian Fall Prevention Curriculum: Resources and links on fall prevention
Safe driving
Age alone doesn't determine a person's ability to remain a safe driver. Many older adults continue to be safe drivers and avoid driving in situations where they feel less confident.
However, aging can make some activities like driving more difficult. As an older adult, it's important to recognize changes due to aging that can affect your ability to drive safely. This can include changes in vision, cognition, range of motion, or reaction time.
Learn more about safe driving strategies and assessing driving fitness in older age: