I was talking to a guy with MS recently. He maintains that if it’s one of those split second terror things, it’s a fall, but if you sort of slide down to the ground in a controlled fashion because you don’t really have any other choice, it isn’t. His home health aide maintains that any unplanned change in altitude is a fall, even if it takes a long time.
I tend to take the first view, myself.
First makes more sense to me, as an occasional faller and slider.
I agree, a controlled slide is not a fall. Although I can see where your care aid is coming from, as I have worked with the elderly for many years in long-term care. We are compelled by federal regs to consider any change of altitude a fall. It gets rather ridiculous in the Alzheimer’s unit, where people sit or lay down on the floor all the time.
Hmmm, I was reading that as a more meta-physical description rather than the actual force of gravity/impact. Im still reading too deeply into things.
Eileen – so “change of altitude” is nursing home jargon, rather than a quaint turn of phrase? I’m so disillusioned!
mdmhvonpa – dude, deep thinking!
I like your map, and I like that you linked me.
I linked to you a long time ago – seemed only right.