Uneven floors. Ill-fitting shoes. Vertigo-inducing medications.

Lots of things can bring on a fall — and they can have major consequences.

Unintentional falls were the leading cause of injury-related deaths among New Mexicans 65 and older from 2019 to 2023, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Health.

Fall-related hospitalizations have been increasing year-over-year since 2020, with nearly 7,000 such hospitalizations in 2023, the data shows. The age-adjusted hospitalization rate after a fall increased by 6% between 2019 and 2023.

However, fall-related deaths are trending steadily downward: The age-adjusted death rate from falls among older adults in New Mexico dropped 41% in that time period.

While they may seem like uncontrollable accidents, falls aren’t nece

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