Sunday, May 11, 2008

New Mexico First in Nation in Senior Deaths from Falls

By Paul Gessing

Categories: New Mexico

According to a new study, New Mexico ranks number one (worst in the nation) in deaths from falls for seniors. New Mexico ranked highest with 99.26 deaths per 100,000 people over the age of 65. Wisconsin was second at 87.35 deaths per 100,000 people over age 65 and Vermont came in third with 81.46. Alaska ranked the lowest, with 15.95 deaths. Medical treatment costs for falls involving people over age 65 were more than $19 billion in 2000, and that figure is projected to increase to more than $40 billion by 2020.

While the problem of seniors falling is certainly real and obviously expensive, the ability to prevent it and potential preventative measures are unclear. Certainly, it would seem that seniors should be aware of the problem and take steps to prevent or prepare for it.