National:

• Falls among adults aged 65 and older are common, costly, and preventable. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults.. (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2020)

• One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2020)

• Each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2020)

• Over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2020)

• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2020)

• Each year, more than 2,200 children, or six children a day, die from an injury that occurred in the home. (Safe Kids Worldwide)

North Dakota:

• Among fall-related deaths from 2009 through 2013, 44% occurred at home and 37% occurred at a residential institution. (North Dakota Department of Health. 2015)

• 71% of fall-related deaths that occurred from 2009 through 2013 were in individuals ages 80 and older. (North Dakota Department of Health. 2015)

• Falls were the third leading cause of injury-related deaths in 2013, and the first leading cause of injury-related deaths in individuals over the age of 65. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2013)

• A total of 456 North Dakota residents died due to falls from 2009 through 2013, an average of 91 deaths per year. (North Dakota Department of Health. 2015)