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The Culture of Falls and Fear of Falling: A Phenomenological Study

Leonard G. Trujillo, Jane A. Painter and Caroline R. Berry

Purpose: This phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of community-dwelling older adults regarding what falls and fear of falling meant to them, and how each entity influenced self-efficacy, functional performance, and degree of engagement in occupations.
Methods: Thirty-one older adults, 58 to 94 years old, were interviewed one time at a senior center or continual care retirement community. All interviews were analyzed using QSR NUD*IST 6 software.
Results: Three main themes emerged: 1) highly fearful, and having their lives affected by the fear of falling; 2) having fallen, but rationalized their fears and modified their lives accordingly; and, 3) felt they had not fallen by their definition and remained active in place.
Conclusion: Findings suggest the importance for practitioners to listen and understand their clients’ stories and perceptions of how they are selectively engaging in life’s activities while maintaining a personal perception of living an active life style.