The fear of falling

NO, this column is not about the well-known 1989 sociological study about the American middle class by Barbara Ehrenreich. This write-up is more about the fear of falling which haunts older adults, their family members, friends and relations, and in extreme cases, even the general public. Celebrities, politicians and famous personalities usually get front-page treatment in media when they expire from such injuries.

Most of us share horror stories about how an elder was found lifeless after fatal injuries related to falls. The common venues for such incidents are usually bathrooms, toilets, stairs and slippery floors. Such dramatic fall stories throw family members into preventive panic action and terrify the elderly concerned, who either stops or reduces physical activities for fear of falling and expiring in the process. In extreme cases, they spend anxious hours waiting for "The Fall."