Falls among older adults can lead to serious injuries with high medical costs and threaten their independence. The fatality rate from falls has increased steadily over the last few decades, particularly among those age 85 and older. In 2023, there were more than 41,000 deaths related to falls among older adults in the United States. 

Risk factors for falls include vitamin D deficiency, difficulty walking and balancing, use of certain medications, vision problems and hazards in the home, such as uneven steps.

Falls among older adults result in substantial medical costs. In 2020, the medical costs attributable to nonfatal falls in the U.S. totaled approximately $80 billion; Medicaid and Medicare covered more than 70% of those costs. Recent research suggests that investing in evidence-based falls prevention programs could yield returns of $8.36 to $38.04 per dollar spent.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of falls is higher among:

• Older women compared with older men.
• Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native older adults compared with Asian older adults, who have the lowest prevalence of all the measured racial and ethnic groups. 
• Older adults with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those who have higher levels of income.
• Older adults living in nonmetropolitan areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.
• Older adults who have difficulty with self-care compared with older adults without a disability.

Actions older adults can take to prevent falls include:

• Asking a health care provider to evaluate their risk of falling.
• Talking with a doctor or pharmacist about medications that cause dizziness or drowsiness.
• Having annual eye exams and updating eyeglasses as needed.
• Getting screened for osteoporosis.
• Using proper footwear and having annual foot check-ups.
• Participating in evidence-based physical activities to improve balance and strength, such as tai chi or A Matter of Balance.
• Fixing hazards in the home.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) initiative to help health care providers make fall prevention routine. STEADI is based on clinical guidelines and provides information and resources for patients, caregivers and members of the health care team. STEADI implementation has been slow but promising — deployment across 17 clinics in New York increased primary care screening for fall risk up to nearly 70% among patients age 65 and older. 

The National Council on Aging offers a Falls Free CheckUp tool, which can help an individual identify their fall risk and provides resources and tools to reduce the risk.

Healthy People 2030 has objectives to reduce fall-related deaths among older adults and reduce the rate of emergency department visits due to falls among older adults. 

Ezeonu, Brian. Evidence-Based Programs ROI Assessment Report: Falls Prevention Programs. National Council on Aging, July 2025. https://assets.ncoa.org/ffacfe7d-10b6-0083-2632-604077fd4eca/dd5cd40a-b563-41b3-b65d-c5424d62413f/2025_Falls_Prevention_ROI.pdf.

Garnett, Matthew F., Julie D. Weeks, and Anne M. Zehner. Unintentional Fall Deaths in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2023. NCHS Data Brief, No. 532. National Center for Health Statistics, June 18, 2025. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174601.

Haddad, Yara K., Gabrielle F. Miller, Ramakrishna Kakara, Curtis Florence, Gwen Bergen, Elizabeth Rose Burns, and Adam Atherly. “Healthcare Spending for Non-Fatal Falls among Older Adults, USA.” Injury Prevention 30, no. 4 (August 2024): 272–76. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045023.

Parker, E., R. Lee, F. Floyd, A. Roma, B. Talbut, H. Moss, M. G. Ory, and M. L. Smith. “Making Older Adult Fall Prevention Part of Routine Care in a Large Health System in New York State.” The Gerontologist 55, no. Suppl_2 (November 2015): 320. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnv620.02.

The 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan. National Council on Aging, 2025.https://assets.ncoa.org/ffacfe7d-10b6-0083-2632-604077fd4eca/8dd5d7b0-b98f-48f2-a484-989d9e339f4a/2025_National_Falls_Prevention_Action_Plan.pdf.