Minnesota Ranks 2nd in the Nation for Fall Deaths Among Older Adults, The State Knows Why — and a New Wave of Technology Is Trying to Catch People Before They Hit the Floor

Minnesota has the second-highest rate of fall-related deaths among older adults in the United States, behind only Wisconsin. Falls among older adults in Minnesota cost the state more than $700 million in medical expenses in 2014, according to CDC data cited by the Minnesota Department of Health. Older adults who fall once are significantly more likely to fall again. For older adults who resist wearables or forget to charge them, passive monitoring removes the compliance gap that reduces the effectiveness of wearable-based systems. A documented high fall risk designation opens access to covered interventions including physical therapy and occupational therapy home safety assessments.