Seniors' Falls Prevention Business Case
Seniors’ falls greatly impact Saskatchewan in many ways.*
Did you Know?
- Seniors’ falls cost $70.9 million in direct costs annually
- Over 3,000 hospitalizations occur annually from seniors’ falls
- Seniors’ falls are the leading mechanism for all injury hospitalizations
- 70%of falls occur in and around the home
- Seniors’ falls hospitalizations result in 40-50% longer lengths of stay than any other seniors’ hospitalizations (average length is seven days)
- 40% of hospitalizations are hip fractures and eight per cent are repeat hospitalizations; 30% of older adults who fracture their hips die within the first year post fracture and another 30% are admitted to long term care or nursing homes
- 18% of all seniors’ falls hospitalizations result in a transfer to a geriatric centre or nursing home
- 6% of seniors’ falls hospitalizations result in death
In Saskatchewan, 15 per cent of the provincial population is 65 years or older. But for the Cypress, Five Hills, Heartland, Kelsey Trail, Sun Country and Sunrise Health Regions the percentage of the 65+ age is higher.
In the 2005-06 year the falls hospitalization rate (per 1,000 of population aged 65+) was at 26.4 and 14.3 for females and males respectively. Hospitalization rates are higher than the provincial average in Cypress, Five Hills, Heartland, Keewatin Yatthe, Kelsey Trail, Mamawetan Churchill River, Sun Country and Sunrise Health Regions.
The 10-year average number of hospitalizations (1995-96 year to 2004-05 year) from fall injury to seniors is at 3,075 per year. Of these hospitalizations, 21.4 per cent are in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region and 19.9 per cent are in the Saskatoon Health Region.
As our entire population continues to age, falls will contribute to an even greater burden of morbidity and mortality.
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Safe Saskatchewan Seniors' Falls Injury Prevention Steering Committee |
Business Case for Seniors’ Falls Prevention
Seniors’ falls annual economic burden
3,075 hospitalizations = 21,525 bed-days = $70.9 million
Investment Scenario Example
11 Dedicated Falls Prevention Managers/Coordinators (10 Regions, 1 Provincial) @ $100,000 each = $1.1 million + Social Marketing Communications Strategy $300,000 = Total Annual Investment $1.4 million
Return On Investment (ROI)
10% decrease in seniors’ falls hospitalizations (value of $7.09 million) therefore ROI = 506.43 per cent = 308 fewer hospital beds required every year in acute care facilities = 2,156 total bed-days available for other acute care needs.
When falls are reduced, so is the impact on Saskatchewan’s health budget, the extra burden place on our health care systems and the lives of seniors are improved.
Seniors’ Falls Prevention Synergies
- Accreditation Canada’s Required Organizational Practices in acute, long term care and home care
- The Saskatchewan Government’s Seniors’ Care Strategy now includes seniors’ falls prevention as an integral element
- Patient First Review – Comprehensive Care, Recommendation #10: “… government and health system pursue an aggressive and targeted emphasis on the promotion of good health and the prevention of illness and injury in Saskatchewan.”
- Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative recognizes that seniors’ fall prevention will have a direct and immediate positive impact by reducing the number of surgeries, decreasing surgical wait times and enhancing the client experience within the health care system
- Releasing Time to Care supports and enables reduction in falls
- Pressure to contain and reduce health system costs
*Sources: “The Economic Burden of Unintentional Injury in Saskatchewan” presented by SMARTRISK, 2001; “Falls Injuries Among Saskatchewan Seniors 1992/93 - 1997-98”, “Saskatchewan Comprehensive Injury Surveillance Report, 1995 – 2005” published by Saskatchewan Health; “Characteristics and Health Outcomes of Elderly Saskatchewan Residents Sustaining a Hip Fracture” published by the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council and other demographic information taken from Saskatchewan Ministry of Health’s Data Tables