Economist: On average, the emergency treatment for an elderly person for injuries resulting from a fall costs $11, 000  A new therapeutic program can significantly reduce an elderly person' s chances of falling
Though obviously desirable for many reasons, this treatment program will cost $12, 500 and thus cannot be justified
Among elderly people who had followed the program for only a few months, the number of serious falls reported was higher than it was for people who had followed the program for its recommended minimum length of one year.