Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2007 , Vol 10, Issue 1
A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON PERCEPTION OF ELDERLY ABOUT FEAR OF FALLING AND IT'S IMPACT ON DAILY LIFE
GATA Hemşirelik Yüksekokulu Psikiyatri Hemşireliği Bilim Dalı ANKARA Background and Aim: Since the aging has caused many changes physically and mentally, elderly individuals have faced multiple problems and risks. Among these falling, causing higher mortality and morbidity in the aged population, is one of the most important problem.

The purpose of this study was to describe the fear of falling, accompanying emotions and behavioral characteristics with this fear in the elderly individuals.

Materials and Method: The study was performed between March and May 2005, at the Geriatric Outpatient of Gülhane Military Medical Academy. 22 elderly patients were interviewed as participants. The methodology of the study was based on a qualitative descriptive design; each individual was interviewed approximately 20 minutes by using indepth interviewing technique and all the interviewes was tape-recorded.

Results: It was found thats 18 elderly individuals have had at least one falling experience and except four, all of participants were experiencing the fear of falling. Besides, it was found that the elderly individuals experienced various emotions accompanying with the fear of falling such as pain and suffering, loss of independency fear of dying, anger, desperation, helplessness, inadequacy. It was also found that after having a falling experience, elderly individuals had have behavioral changes, which decreased the competency of achieving daily life activities, such as staying away from the crowded environments, not going outside alone, acting very slowly, not able to do daily activities alone.

Conclusion: While elderly individuals have been taking some preventive measures not to fall down, they have restricted their life. It can be said that there is a bound between the acceptance of being old and recognition of its limitations, and the measurement were taken againts to fall. Keywords : Ageing, Fear of falling, Daily living activities