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The meaning of the experience of anticipating falling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2014

JAMES A. SHAW ,
DENISE M. CONNELLY  and
CAROL L. MCWILLIAM
JAMES A. SHAW*
Affiliation:
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada.
DENISE M. CONNELLY
Affiliation:
School of Physical Therapy, London, Ontario, Canada.
CAROL L. MCWILLIAM
Affiliation:
Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
*
Address for correspondence: James A. Shaw, Health Care, Technology, and Place Program, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, 550 University Avenue, Suite 11-171, Toronto, ON M5 G 2A2, Canada E-mail: James.shaw@uhn.ca
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Abstract

Falling in later life continues to be a critical issue in gerontology research, health professional practice and ageing health policy. However, much research in the area of fall risk and fall prevention neglects the meaning of the experiences of older people themselves. This humanistic interpretive phenomenological study explored the meaning of the experience of anticipating falling from the perspective of older people in order to foster a more person-focused approach to fall risk assessment and fall prevention. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants over the age of 65 living independently in the community. Follow-up interviews with two key informants were completed to inform the emerging interpretations. For older participants residing in the community, the experience of anticipating falling meant confronting their embodied lived-identity in the context of ageing. Experiential learning shaped how participants understood the meaning of falling, which constituted tacit, pathic knowledge of vulnerability and anxiety with respect to falling. Findings emphasise the importance of critically reflecting on the social experience of anticipating falling to develop effective and relevant fall prevention interventions, programmes and policies. A lifeworld-led approach to fall risk assessment and fall prevention resonates with these findings, and may encourage health-care providers to adopt a sustained focus on embodied lived-identity and quality of life when engaging older people in fall prevention activities.

Keywords

fall riskfall preventionphenomenologylifeworld-led caregerontology
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 35 , Issue 9 , October 2015 , pp. 1839 - 1863
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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