Older Adults - Overview

Unintentional injuries pose a serious threat to the health and well being of Utah’s elderly residents. Falls, motor vehicle crashes and suffocation are the most common causes of fatal injuries among Utahns ages 55 and older.

Some facts about injuries among older Utahns:

• Unintentional injury is the 8th leading cause of death for Utahns ages 55 and over.
• For the 55-64 age group, unintentional injury is the 5th leading cause of death, following cancer, heart disease, lung ailments and diabetes.
• For Utahns age 65 and older, unintentional injury is the 8th leading cause of death.
• Motor vehicle crashes account for 32% of injury-related deaths in the 55+ group and claimed 255 lives (26 per 100,000 persons) from 1999-2001 in Utah.
• Falls account for 27% of injury-related deaths and claimed 189 lives (19 per 100,000 persons) during that same period.
• On average, 10 Utahns ages 55 and older are struck by vehicles and killed while walking each year.
• From 1999–2001, 54,332 (54.5 per 100,000 persons) elderly Utahns were seen in emergency departments (EDs) for unintentional injuries. Forty-eight percent were seen for fall injuries; 6,331 (635 per 100,000 persons) were seen for motor vehicle crash injuries.
• Females account for the majority (57%) of crash-related ED visits, while males account for 43%.
• From 1999–2001, nearly 12,000 elderly Utahns were admitted to hospitals as a result of unintentional injuries; 75% of those admissions were for falls and 8% were for motor vehicle crashes.
• Of all elderly Utahns treated for unintentional injuries from 1999–2002, 60% were female and 40% were male.
• Of all elderly Utahns who died as a result of unintentional injuries for that same time period, 55% were male and 45% were female.

The major injury risk factors for elderly adults include:

• Advancing age
• Osteoporosis
• Multiple medications
• Multiple illnesses
• Dementia
• Gender (Women suffer more injuries than men, but men die more often from their injuries.)
• Environment
• Decreased activity level
• Poor balance

There are many things you can do to stay safe as you age. Click here for tips.