Abstract

Given that fall injury is a critical public health concern in Australia, understanding the economic implications of falls among older adults is crucial to allocating healthcare resources efficiently to reduce falls and improve quality of life. This study therefore aimed to estimate the cost and identify factors associated with fall-related injuries within residential aged care (RAC). A cohort analysis from the healthcare system perspective based on data from a double-blinded randomised controlled trial-the Opti-Med trial. The trial participants were 303 people aged ≥65 years. Identification of in-scope data from the trial dataset was achieved using the falls description note and the National Hospital Cost Data Collection diagnostic related group classification system. Data analyses were performed using STATA V.17. All costs were adjusted to 2022 Australian dollars. On average, the cost of an injurious fall per incident was $2494 (SD=$6199), while the average cost of falls per resident annum was $1798 (SD=$6002). The potential cost of injurious falls per annum in Australia's RAC system was $325 million. Sex and body mass index (BMI) were identified factors associated with fall injury. There was an inverted U-shaped relationship between BMI and falls risk in RAC. The healthcare spending on fall injury per resident annum in RAC represents 20% of the 2021-2022 healthcare expenditure per capita. The high cost and inverted U-shaped relationship between BMI and falls risk underscores the need for more effective and RAC-tailored falls prevention strategies in this setting. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12613001204730); WHO Universal Trial (U1111-1148-6094).