The most common type of injury in older people. Falls are both more common and more serious for older people than for others and more frequently result in fractures. Each year, one fourth of adults older than age 65 who live at home fall. Older adults in hospitals and nursing homes fall even more frequently. Falls or the complications resulting from them account for more than half of the accidental deaths among older people. Especially vulnerable are people who are alone; they may fall and not be discovered at once. Such serious complications as hypothermia, pneumonia, or muscle damage can develop. As a precaution, an older person who lives alone can carry a cellular phone, an attention getting device such as a whistle, or a monitor that can be activated to alert a friend or family member of an injury.