The Cost of One Injurious Fall

$13,316 — the average additional operational costs for a fall with serious injury.

Source: Preventing Falls in Hospitals: A Toolkit for Improving Quality of Care. January 2013.

The financial cost only represents a portion of an injurious fall event. Each fall also represents an immeasurable cost in human suffering, both for the individual and for loved ones.

Future Costs

In addition, fall survivors may develop fallaphobia – the prolonged fear of falling again. This fear can lead to restricted activities and mobility which, in turn, can shorten lifespan.

$54.9 billion — the expected cost the healthcare industry will face by the year 2020 due to injurious falls.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Englander et al., 1996.

Individuals at Risk

1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 fall each year.

In addition to the hospitalized patient, falls pose an even more serious problem for the elderly in care facilities. Equally alarming, older adults who reside in nursing homes account for approximately 20 precent of fall related deaths.