At what age do you stop "falling over" and instead "have a fall"?

[FleetwoodRaincoat]

A colleague of mine at work the other day tripped over and landed in a heap on the floor. The person who was telling what had happened described it as "she had a fall". It got me thinking about how we tend to say this about people of a certain age - but what age do think? Just interested in opinions.

Colleague was fine BTW, just her ego that was bruised!

what age do YOU think

I’ve never noticed this before but that’s an interesting point

My GP thinks I "had a fall" when I was 61.

I think I tripped,

I think you have a fall when there is a cause behind it (including old age/fragility).

56 here and was asked if I had had any falls when I was in hospital last month 😭

Yes its definitely a certain age thing - I would say over 65.

I suppose in answer to your question if I really think about it, it would depend on the health and mobility of the person rather than age necessarily. For example, my paternal grandmother is extremely unsteady on her feet, uses a walking aid and is very overweight. If she fell, I’d probably say ‘she had a fall’.
On the other hand, my maternal grandmother is very fit and mobile and I’d say ‘she fell over’

'Having a fall'. It's sort of associated with the elderly isn't it? Almost a code to indicate the person who's fallen over is older and more vulnerable to complications from a fall, rather than just jumping up and being embarrassed (which I'm sure plenty of older people do too). So perhaps age 70+?

I've wondered this. I'd only use 'had a fall' when discussing someone who was elderly and/or frail in some way, but by elderly I'd be picturing someone in their mid to late 70s or older. That might be some unconscious ageism there though.

I'm 63 - just yesterday I tripped and fell out of my back door. Very painful ! When describing the event , I've been saying "I had a fall" so I guess you are right ! If I'd been 23, I'd have said "I fell over".

I'm 67. I overheard OH telling his brother on the phone that I'd "had a fall" in the garden and hurt my back. I told him very firmly that I hadn't "had a fall", I'd tripped over the clothesline prop

He's got the hang of the idea now.

@SunbathingDragon

I think you have a fall when there is a cause behind it (including old age/fragility).

This seems sensible. Although open to a lot of biases I suppose!

I'm 31 and because of how shit my body is I've been 'having a fall' for at least 5 years.

Never thought about that before but it’s quite interesting.

I imagine for me it would be 68+ and only if my sense or legs have way instead of going over something I guess.

I hadn’t thought about it till the nurse asked me if the big black bruise on my leg was because I’d ‘had a fall’. I felt the need to correct her that I tripped when running and fell over.

Was late 40s at the time.

When people panic rather than laugh.

Well a few weeks ago I fell over for no real reason and struggled to get up. I guess that counts as having a fall! I'm 41. My balance is poor and I have fibromyalgia so I already feel like I'm 80.
I'd say "having a fall" is something not due to outside influence, eg tripping over something or some sort of sporting related issue. You lose your balance and just fall.

(Tongue in cheek) if people laugh and point, then you "fell over"; if they rush to help you and look concerned, you've "had a fall"

I code clinical letters and we code an "elderly fall" in anyone over 70 who falls over without any specific cause (ie the kind of fall that wouldn't happen to a younger/fitter person). Quite often it's tripping over their feet or getting tangled with a chair leg, etc.

"Had a fall" sounds a bit patronising on the face of it but it's really important that 'non-accidental' falls are recognised as such so that assessments can be made of underlying causes, eg undiagnosed blood pressure problems, neuropathy, stroke, aneurysm, etc. It's embarrassing but that fall might save your life!

Apparently at 46.

I had a ridiculous comedy fall a few weeks back (three Stooges worthy) and the next time the community nurse came to take bloods I was showing her my spectacular bruises while describing my pratfall and she happened to need to phone my GP while with me and said to him "...and Mrs V had a bad fall".

So yeah.

I am 66 and fell in the garden 2 weeks ago.

I was moving a large and heavy pallet, I lost control of the pallet, it went down and I fell on top of it. Ended up with a very impressive bruise on my shin.

I would only consider I had 'had a fall' if I had lost my balance for no external reason and fell or if I had disproportionately injured myself or was unable to get up again without help.

I too don't think it is a fixed age thing - more about the physical condition of the person falling.

65 plus as that's officially the age when you can be On a " care if the elderly ward".

However if my fit working 67 year old uncle fell over I most definitely would say he fell over ! Not had a fall.

Also I am mostly to say " had a fall" if it's a regular occurrence for that person

DH and I often comment on the when we watch the Ambulance type programmes. DH reckons when you are under 30 you fall over 30 to 60 you either fall over if its related to actually falling over something eg the step, the dog etc or have a fall if you manage to sort of fall over your own feet. Over 60 its always have a fall and should be met with suitable pulling of faces and intakes of breath.

About 10 years older than whatever age I am!

My friends and I had the exact same conversation a few months ago when I fell over whilst herding one of our dogs. I ended up with a black eye and a bruised head and I insist that I fell over and did not have a fall.

I agree with PPs that it's when people stop laughing and start panicking!

My Mum was always clumsy as I was growing up, and then it was falling over. Now if she does it in her 60s it's very much "having a fall", and tends to bring more damage with it too (she's broken the same hand three times as part of falls).