"A Familiar but Unsafe Shelter" - Older Adults' Experience of Fall-Related Injuries at Home: A Phenomenological Study

To explore the essential nature and structural meaning of older adults' experiences of fall-related injuries at home.

Descriptive phenomenological study.

The participants were eight community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years) in South Korea who had received treatment after experiencing a mild-to-severe fall-related injury in the past year. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews.

Four constituent themes were identified: "living with an ever-present anticipation of falling," "a familiar but unsafe shelter," "living in the shadow of fear and anxiety of recurrence," and "making efforts to walk outdoors."

The older adults experienced changes in perceptions of daily living as a whole following fall-related injuries at home and reevaluated their values and surroundings.

This study offers an in-depth understanding of how older adults perceive and respond to fall-related injuries at home. The findings offer valuable insights for healthcare providers to develop and implement effective fall and injury prevention interventions in home settings.