Overcoming waves of helplessness: The meaning of experiencing fear of falling

• Published in: Geriatric nursing (New York) Vol. 52; pp. 40 - 47
• Main Authors: Dolan, Hanne R., Pool, Natalie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Fear of falling; Lived experience; Older adults; Phenomenology; Qualitative; Phenomenology; Lived experience; Fear of falling; Qualitative; Older adults
• ISSN: 0197-4572; 1528-3984
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.05.003

•Fear of falling was experienced as waves of helplessness among the older adults.•Older adults with fear of falling strive for self-preservation and show resiliency.•Nurses must support older adults’ self-management of fear of falling. Fear of falling (FOF) is prevalent among older adults. While the phenomenon has been conceptually defined and the factors associated with FOF are evident in the nursing literature, the deeply personal experience of this fear from the perspective of older adults is often overlooked. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of experiencing FOF among older adults (N = 4). Each participant was interviewed twice using van Manen's interpretive phenomenological methodology. Four major interpretive themes emerged: Loss of Self, Part of my Existence, Remaining Safe Within the Boundaries of Fear, and The Exhausting Appraisal of Relationships. While the older adults struggled to manage their FOF, a deeper meaning was expressed during a relentless striving for self-preservation. While FOF can be an experience of overwhelming helplessness, the older adults in this study demonstrated personal resiliency, a perspective that is often lacking in the current literature.