Florida Leads the nation in the number deaths due to falls per year.

Bonita Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA

Vice President, Injury Prevention

from the National Council on Aging Presented this slide in February of 2009 suggesting that Florida should be a leader in developing coalitions to work toward the prevention of falls.

Alachua County has the highest rate of Death and Hospitalization from falls in Florida.  Union County is in the top 10 Counties in Florida in this same survey!

Counties Ranked for Combined Death & Hospitalization Rates Per 100,000 Residents 65+, 2007

1. Alachua 
2. Pinellas 
3. Broward 
4. Hillsborough 
5. Palm Beach
6. Leon 
7. Duval 
8. Union 
9. Miami-Dade

What is the Financial Impact (In Current Dollars)

In 1994, total cost of fall injuries among older adults 65+

• $27.3 billion
• 43.8 billion projected for 2020

Medicare costs for hip fractures alone

• $4.7 billion in 1991
• $32.4 billion in 2020
• $240 billion projected for 2040

The costs of fall injuries tend to increase with age

Falls increase as people age and increase significantly over the age of 85.

We expect a significant rise in the number of people who will fall as our nation grays: