Preventing Falls and Hip Fractures

Preventing a fall or hip fracture

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR

• Ask your doctor or health care provider to evaluate your risk for falling and talk with them about specific things you can do.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines to see if any might make you dizzy or sleepy. Include prescription medicines and over-the counter medicines.
• Ask your doctor or health care provider about taking vitamin D supplements.

GET SCREENED FOR OSTEOPOROSIS

• Get screened for osteoporosis and treated if needed.

DO STRENGTH AND BALANCE EXERCISES

• Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance. Tai Chi is a good example of this kind of exercise.

HAVE YOUR EYES CHECKED

• Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year and be sure to update your eyeglasses if needed.
• If you have bifocal or progressive lenses, you may want to get a pair of glasses with only your distance prescription for outdoor activities, such as walking. Sometimes bifocal or progressive lenses can make things seem closer or farther away than they really are.

MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER

• Get rid of things you could trip over.
• Add grab bars inside and outside your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
• Put railings on both sides of stairs.
• Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs.

Why prevention is important

• Each year there are about 300,000 hip fracture-related hospitalizations due to older adult falls.1
• In 2019, 83% percent of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for hip fractures were caused by falls.1
• Women experience about 70% of hip fractures treated in the emergency department or hospital.1
• The chances of breaking your hip increase as you get older.1

Resources

For more information about how you can prevent falls, check out CDC's STEADI resources for older adults.

These resources include:

• Stay Independent Brochure (English | Spanish) [2 pages]
• What YOU Can Do to Prevent Falls Brochure (English | Spanish) [2 pages]
• Check for Safety Brochure (English | Spanish) [2 pages]
• Postural Hypotension Brochure (English | Spanish) [2 pages]
• Chair Rise Exercise (English | Spanish) [1 page]

Related Pages

• Important Facts about Falls
• Older Adult Falls Data
• CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions: What Works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults, 4th Edition
• Preventing Falls: A Guide to Implementing Effective Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs
• Fall Prevention Resources
• Publications
• Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI)