Descriptive study of injuries and deaths due to falls among adults 65 and older in Lincoln County, Wisconsin

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to determine where falls are occurring in Lincoln County, Wisconsin and provide a comparison to Wisconsin data. It also determined how local hospitals and nursing homes collect data on falls. The state of Wisconsin ranks third in the nation in the number of injuries caused by falls among adults 65 years and older. In Lincoln County, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among adults 65 and older. The study analyzed data from the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) that houses injury data for the state. Data was also collected from hospitals and nursing homes located in Lincoln County. The study found that females are at a higher risk of fall injury in Lincoln County and Wisconsin and males have a higher rate in fall-related deaths. Also most falls that lead to an emergency room visit and or hospitalization occurs on average among those who are 80 years and older. The study also revealed that local data is not readily available for analysis from local nursing homes and hospitals and that state databases for injuries due to falls is limited. This study provided guidance on the importance of state and local interventions that can reduce the burden of falls. By the collection and analysis of adequate fall data, best practice interventions at hospitals, nursing homes and the community can be made to reduce preventable injuries and deaths due to falls.