Older adults living in homes with electrical or plumbing problems, insufficient space, or poor lighting are more likely to experience a fall, according to a new study published August 5, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Javiera Cartagena-Farías of the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, and colleagues.
Falls are common among older people living independently; around one in three adults aged 65 and over experience at least one fall a year in England. They can result in fractures, loss of independence, and increased demand for health and social care services.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from approximately 5,500 adults aged 65 and over participating in waves 1–10 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), covering 2002–2023. The data included self-reported housing problems as well as whether a participant had experienced any falls.
Electrical or plumbing problems were associated with a 10.8% increase in the probability of experiencing a fall, and were also linked to falls requiring healthcare use. Lack of space was associated with a 3.3% increase in fall probability. Poor lighting was associated with falls resulting in healthcare use (9.3% increase in fall probability). The annual cost of falls attributable to poor housing was estimated at £1.2 billion, comprising £440 million in healthcare costs and £778 million in formal care costs.
The study relied on self-reported falls and housing conditions, which may be subject to recall bias, and the cost model relied on previous findings and assumptions drawn from existing literature.
Despite these limitations, the authors conclude that poor housing conditions significantly increase the risk of falls among older people, suggesting that strategies targeting housing improvement could yield benefits in terms of fall prevention and healthcare savings.
The authors add: "Poor housing conditions significantly increase the risk of falls among older people. Associated costs could be avoided. Viewing housing improvements as part of an integrated falls-prevention strategy could yield significant benefits for individuals and for the sustainability of health and care systems."
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: https://plos.io/4wsadYU
Citation: Cartagena-Farías J, Fernández J-L, Silva-Ribeiro W, Brimblecombe N (2026) When home is a dangerous place: the cost of falls among older people living in the community. PLoS One 21(8): e0353755. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353755
Author countries: UK.
Funding: This research is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (reference NIHR206116). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or decision to publish the manuscript. Author initials for award receipt: JLF. Funder website: https://eshcru.com/ .
