Falls Prevention Week begins after 124,000 A&E visits
New figures show how often people aged 65 and over need medical help after a fall.
Falls Prevention Week begins on Monday with new figures on falls among older people. In 2025, according to VeiligheidNL, 124,000 people aged 65 and over ended up in A&E after a fall.
According to VeiligheidNL, 78 per cent of that group suffered serious injuries. The knowledge centre bases the figures on the Injury Information System, which collects data from Dutch A&E departments. The figure refers to visits to A&E and does not automatically represent 124,000 different people.
The figures form part of the publication Trends in Injury 2025, released by VeiligheidNL on 15 September. In 2025, one person aged 65 and over ended up in A&E after a fall every four minutes. VeiligheidNL points out that falls can affect independence, quality of life and the care required.
Falls Prevention Week runs from 28 September to 4 October inclusive. This year’s theme is falls prevention as part of ageing healthily. VeiligheidNL and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport are asking local authorities, healthcare organisations and other local partners to reach older people with information, activities and appropriate support.
The ‘Ik sta sterk’ campaign is running again during the week. It is intended to encourage people aged 65 and over to test their risk of falling and consider ways to move with greater strength and confidence. Local organisations can, among other things, organise an ‘Ik sta sterk brigade’, where older people can have their balance tested and receive information about what is available.
The national approach consists of more than public communication alone. Local authorities and healthcare professionals are trying to identify, assess and refer older people at increased risk to exercise programmes aimed at preventing falls. According to VeiligheidNL, this chain-based approach has been incorporated further into policy in recent years, but its implementation continues to require cooperation between the medical and social domains.
Nutrition, exercise and social connectedness are also receiving attention during the campaign. On Tuesday, VeiligheidNL is organising a webinar on how these factors are connected. This explicitly links falls prevention to broader policy on healthy ageing, rather than focusing only on preventing an incident.
The new figures do not, in themselves, show which approach works for every older person. They do make clear that falls are a major public-health problem. The campaign therefore focuses on early identification and local provision; its ultimate effects must be measured separately.
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The key figures and campaign dates can be found directly in publications by VeiligheidNL and VWS. The text clearly distinguishes between A&E visits, campaign plans and what cannot yet be concluded about the effects.
- confirmed In 2025, 124,000 people aged 65 and over ended up in A&E after a fall. — VeiligheidNL lists 124,000 people aged 65 and over in its key figures for 2025. source
- confirmed 78 per cent of this group suffered serious injuries. — This percentage appears alongside VeiligheidNL’s key figures. source
- confirmed The figures are based on the Injury Information System. — VeiligheidNL describes LIS as the source for registering injuries treated in A&E. source
- confirmed In 2025, one person aged 65 and over ended up in A&E after a fall every four minutes. — This frequency appears in the publication Trends in Injury 2025 and on the VWS-related campaign page. source
- confirmed Falls Prevention Week runs from 28 September to 4 October 2026 inclusive. — The official campaign page lists this period. source
- confirmed VWS and VeiligheidNL are launching the Ik sta sterk campaign for the third time. — This is stated in a report by Zorgakkoorden.nl, which is managed by VWS. source
- confirmed During the week, local organisations can offer balance activities and an online fall-risk test. — VeiligheidNL describes the Ik sta sterk brigade and the online fall-risk test. source
- confirmed VeiligheidNL is organising a webinar on nutrition, exercise and social connectedness on 29 September. — The programme appears on the official Falls Prevention Week page. source
Editor's note
The 2025 figures, campaign dates and activities described by VeiligheidNL and VWS are confirmed. The figures concern A&E visits and do not automatically represent unique individuals; the sources consulted contain no independent assessment of the campaign’s effectiveness.Sources
- Valpreventie - Trends in Letsel 2025 — VeiligheidNL
- Valpreventieweek 2026 — VeiligheidNL
- Valpreventie: essentieel voor vitaal ouder worden — Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport
- Letsels in 2025: Kerncijfers LIS — VeiligheidNL
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