The phrase is believed to have originated from the sport of boxing and is sometimes attributed to Robert Fitzsimmons prior to a fight. As with the tree, the boxer was referring to a physical fall, but the expression means much more that physical falls.
The actual meaning is that the more powerful or important a person is, they suffer more when they fail. We’ve seen this play out many times in politics, with celebrities, and influential people in our communities. Some people relish the fall of the mighty, while others may be dumbfounded or shocked that a person they admired could be guilty of a heinous act.
At one time, only famous people had to worry about their ill-advised faux pas being disclosed to the public. Now, for better or worse, we have social media to point fingers, criticize, or play judge, jury, and recommenders of punitive punishment for our neighbors, random strangers, or Facebook friends of friends.
In the real world, as we age, we find out that physical falls are a much greater threat than a mean Facebook post. The hardest fall I ever had was on ice. My feet went out from under me and I fell flat on my back and hit my head on rock-solid ice. For a flash second, I thought the fall would kill me, but once I felt the excruciating pain in my head, I thought I had broken my head. There are serious advantages of having a hard head.
Each year during my Medicare physical, the nurse asks if I’ve had any falls within the last year. Since I can be clumsy and suffer intermittent vertigo, I usually answer in the affirmative. Fortunately, I only have a few bruises to show.
Jim always had amazing balance. He used to throw a ladder on the stairs to the basement to change out a stairwell light bulb on the ceiling. I couldn’t stand to watch while the ladder teetered, but he was unconcerned.
After Jim developed dementia, he began to have problems with mobility. He would lose his balance and fall. One of the reasons people with dementia fall is that they have trouble finding their way around and pay no attention to hazards. They also tend to walk faster than they should, which can throw them off balance. Our family doctor took Jim off blood thinners because of the fall risk. Jim had several falls while he was in long-term care, and had to have stitches from time to time, but fortunately, he never broke any bones.
Although we can’t eliminate all falls, we can certainly limit our fall risk with some home modifications:
Avoiding Stairs and Carrying Heavy Items. Stairs can be a tripping hazard for a person with balance issues. We installed a chairlift to the basement. We had stairs leading down to our garage and we replaced them with a wheelchair lift. Both items were expensive, but they sure have made life easier. An inexpensive wheeled cart streamlines bringing in groceries. I load the cart from our vehicle, roll it across the garage floor, and onto the lift and into the house.
Proper Lighting and Avoid Tripping Hazards: We are fortunate to have a well-lit house. Even so, we leave lights on at night in the areas where we need them and have nightlights throughout the house. We’ve removed throw rugs, and switched out carpet for solid flooring. We make sure that all floors remain uncluttered. We both keep water at our bedside to avoid getting up for drinks in the night.
The best fall prevention is risk assessment. Once your environment is as safe as possible, use every precaution to navigate safely through your home.
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