Incidence, Nature and Consequences of Injuries among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, United States 2001-2013

Dongjuan Xu, University of Minnesota
Julia A. Rivera Drew, University of Minnesota

Two major concerns associated with the rapidly growing population of older adults in the U.S. are maintaining a high quality of life in old age and slowing the growth of health care-related expenses. Because institutionalization is associated with diminished quality of life and high health care expenses, it is important to delay admission to long-term care facilities for as long as possible. Injuries sustained by older adults, especially falls, are a major predictor of institutionalization. Despite the need for information on injuries among older adults, what we know about injuries among older adults is limited. This study addresses this limitation by using the Integrated Health Interview Series to 1) provide standardized estimates of the incidence of injuries and falls among community-dwelling older adults over the 2001-2013 period, 2) characterize the nature and consequences of injuries, and 3) determine there are important differences by sex, living arrangements, and disability status.