Trauma center care significantly lowers one-year mortality for injured older adults, emphasizing the need for timely transfers.

• In a cohort of 55,799 patients aged 65+, those treated at trauma centers had a 3.5% lower one-year mortality rate (27.4% overall).
• Benefits of trauma care were consistent across different age groups and injury severity except for isolated head injuries, which showed no significant improvement.

Consider prioritizing transfers to trauma centers for this vulnerable population to improve long-term outcomes.