Temporal trends and characteristics of fall-related deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among older adults in Canada.

Abstract

Falls among older adults (aged 65 years and older) are a public health concern in Canada. Fall-related injuries can cause a reduction in quality of life among older adults, and death. They also entail substantial health care costs. It is essential to monitor fallrelated injuries and deaths among older adults to better understand temporal trends and characteristics and to evaluate fall prevention strategies. We used the most up-to-date data from the Canadian Vital Statistics-Death database, Discharge Abstract Database and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System to analyze the temporal trends of fallrelated mortality, hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits among older adults in Canada over more than a decade. Age and sex characteristics were also examined. In 2022, 7189 older adults died due to a fall in Canada (excluding Yukon). From 2010 to 2022, deaths due to falls generally increased in both number and rates. In fiscal year 2023/24, there were 81 599 fall-related hospitalizations in Canada (excluding Quebec) and 212 570 fall-related ED visits in Ontario and Alberta. From fiscal year 2010/11 to 2023/24, even though the overall trend of the rates of fall-related hospitalizations and ED visits did not increase, the numbers generally rose year by year except in 2020/21, the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the age and sex characteristics, the rates for deaths, hospitalizations and ED visits rose with advancing age for both men and women. With the aging population, continuous monitoring of the trends is crucial for fall prevention.