JAGS Paper: The Medical Costs of Fatal and Nonfatal Falls in Older Adults

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Journal of the American Geriatric Society (JAGS) has published an article, “The Medical Costs of Fatal and Nonfatal Falls in Older Adults.”

The study estimated the annual medical costs related to older adult falls using a more inclusive methodology than previously used for falls. This method allows for more regular routine updating of costs estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

The study found that total medical costs to treat older adult falls in 2015 exceeded $50 billion. Medicare spent approximately $29 billion on falls (constituting 6 percent of all Medicare spending for older adults).

Clinical prevention efforts, like CDC's STEADI Initiative (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, & Injuries,) equip healthcare providers with the tools and resources needed to reduce falls among their older patients.


To read the JAGS article, click here.
To go to the CDC STEADI Older Adult Fall Prevention website, click here.