In 2018, 4,396 elderly people died after a fall. That is an increase of 547 deaths compared to 2017. This is apparent from new figures from expertise center SafetyNL.
Every year, 108,000 elderly people end up in the emergency room after a fall. Ten percent of them could not go home after this and had to be hospitalized.
Because more and more elderly people are living at home for longer, more and more elderly people are also seriously injured after a fall. In 2018, nearly 75,000 were seriously injured, 5,200 more than the year before. They suffered serious injuries such as broken hips and brain injuries.
Nearly half of all falls among the over-70s take place in and around the home. Often they are stupid accidents such as tripping over a threshold (900 times), slipping on the wet floor (500 times) or falling down the stairs (5900 times). Side effects of medications can also cause falls.
