Fear of Falling - 04 April 2026

Falling. One of my biggest worries.

In 2023, the unintentional fall death rate for adults aged 65 and older was 69.9 per 100,000 population, with more than 41,000 deaths in this group. Rates were higher for men (74.2 per 100,000) than women (66.3 per 100,000) and increased sharply with age. Grok.

I try to be consciously aware when I walk. Several years ago, in Ranthambore, India, I tripped while climbing an otherwise innocuous stair to a train platform. I was shaken up a bit and had a few bruises and scratches. But, otherwise, I picked myself up and went on my way. Since, I have tried to be consciously aware of picking up my feet as I climb a stairway. I try to always use a banister, when available, climbing or descending stairs.

I can cite a half dozen examples of people I have known who died in a fall of some kind. My Uncle Bob (Dad's youngest brother) slipped on ice as he got out of his pick-up at age 71. He hit his head on the ground and died of subdural hematoma.

I was unconscious for several minutes after a ski fall last year. I can't even remember the event. University of Utah neurologists told me that it is very common for memory following such a trauma not to return. I suffered a minor brain bleed, but doctors deemed no intervention was necessary. After six months and three Cat Scans I was deemed to be OK. I don't know if the ski fall was a slip due to poor balance or improper ski maneuver, or whether I might have been clipped by another skier from behind. Notwithstanding, at eighty years of age, I have skied over 40 times this season, falling three or four times, but with no serious consequences. In making a risk assessment, I still figure it's better to be outdoors skiing than sitting in an armchair at home.

Balance. It's a looming problem as we age.