The CDC's numbers on falls after 65, in one place.
More than one in four adults 65+ falls each year.
Emergency department visits due to older-adult falls each year.
Hospitalizations after those visits each year.
Older adults hospitalized for hip fractures each year.
All figures: CDC, Facts About Falls
More than one in four older adults falls each year. Falling once doubles the chance of falling again (CDC). After a fall, many people move less because they are afraid of falling again. Moving less makes them weaker and less steady.
One in ten falls causes an injury that forces the older adult to restrict activity for a day or more or to seek medical care. Each year, falls lead to about 4.5 million emergency department visits. About 1.4 million of those visits end in a hospital stay. Falls are also the most common cause of brain injuries in older adults. Hip fractures are common: nearly 319,000 hospital stays a year. Falls cause 83% of deaths from hip fractures.
| What happens after a fall (per year, US, 65+) | Number |
|---|---|
| Emergency department visits | ~4,500,000 |
| Hospitalizations | ~1,400,000 |
| Hip-fracture hospitalizations | ~319,000 |
| Older adults who fall and report an injury needing treatment or restricting activity | about 37% |
Source: CDC, Facts About Falls.
Many falls go unreported. Fewer than half of older adults who fall tell their doctor. Many feel embarrassed, or fear that telling will lead to leaving home. So "Mom hasn't fallen" may mean "Mom hasn't told me." To spot the signs, see the warning-signs checklist.
The numbers say falls are common, serious, and underreported. When Silvie detects a fall, it sends an alert to the phones of the family you invite, with no button to press, nothing to wear and no camera, so you do not have to wait for your parent to mention it. It does not call 911, and no system detects every fall.
Fall detection without a camera
If Silvie detects a fall, the people you invite get an alert in the app.
Shop Silvie