by James Wallace Harris, Thursday, July 5, 2018
The other day I nearly fell off a ladder. A tree limb had fallen, spearing a hole in my workshop roof. I got out my ladder, climbed up and leaned over to pull out the limb. The ladder started falling away, and I caught myself on the edge of the roof using my elbows. Luckily, I was able to catch the ladder with my foot and pull it back. I would have been in a pickle hanging the edge of the roof without a ladder.
When I told my wife about this she told me I couldn’t climb on ladders anymore unless she was there. I doubt she could have caught me if I had fallen. I’m thinking my ladder climbing days are over, at least for my two tallest ladders. Maybe I’m okay for my little 4-foot step ladder. But I’m not sure.
I’m 66 and will be 67 in a few months, and I’m beginning to notice incidents of being clumsy or losing my balance. Lately, I’m been bumping into things too. Twice this week I’ve knocked my left shin quite hard. I was shocked. I’ve always had good balance and spatial awareness. What’s wrong with my body?
When I was younger I used to tell old guys they shouldn’t climb a ladder and let me do it for them. Now I’m wondering if I’m one of those old guys who shouldn’t climb ladders. I found this very revealing chart at the CDC about causes of deaths by various kinds of accidents. For folks over 65, it’s falling. I hope they don’t mind me copying it here:
Notice how “Unintentional Fall” isn’t even in the Top 10 for people under 15? It’s only #10 for ages 15-34. Then it starts climbing up the charts, making #4 for 55-64, and then #1 for 65+. Is there a correlation to declining balance, spatial awareness and reaction times?
I tried to find statistics for bike accidents, but couldn’t.
I’ve been really enjoying biking this year until my bike broke. I was trying to decide if I should get it repaired or buy a new one when I nearly fell off the ladder and wondered if biking was as dangerous as ladder climbing. My biggest worry is falling off my bike and not being hit by a car. I ride in a very safe neighborhood away from traffic. But I’ve occasionally slipped on wet leaves or sand, and I’ve had to do some last minute veering because of squirrels, dogs, kids, and cars backing out of driveways. So far I’ve always recovered without falling, but I’ve had a couple close shaves this year. When I’m zooming along on my bike I’ve often wondered what it would feel like if my 230-pound body flew over the handlebars and smashed into the pavement. Would my blubber protect me? (I do wear a helmet.)
I feel I’m still young enough to bike, but then I recalled three people my age who’ve had bad biking accidents recently. One broke a collarbone when he veered to avoid a woman stepping in front his bike, one who got two front teeth knocked out, had a bunch of stitches, a concussion, and lost 30 minutes of memory so doesn’t remember how it happened, and finally, and one who lost his brakes, hit a sign, punctured his pancreas, damaged his liver, and ended up in ICU for four days.
I love biking for exercise. It’s the only aerobic exercise I can handle. I do have an indoor bike, but it’s not as fun. I thought about getting a 3-wheeler, but I don’t have a garage, and getting a 3-wheeler in and out of the house would be difficult.
Up till my ladder incident, I was thinking I’d bike until I had an accident. But I figured having an accident would only involve cuts and bruises, and maybe a broken arm or leg. Those other bike accidents are making me think that waiting until I have an accident to know when to quit isn’t a great plan.
I had to make my mother stop driving. I’ve had friends that had to step in and make their parents stop driving. I want to believe I’ll know when it’s time to give up car driving, but now I’m getting a taste of that decision with bike riding.
I believe I’m healthy enough to bike ride for many years. But I’m starting to realize that my reflexes are not what they used to be, and my spatial awareness and reaction times are dwindling. I’m trying to place my bet where I don’t seriously injure myself, but I’m not sure of the odds. I wish I could find statistics on biking accidents. What are the common injuries for a 65+ person falling off a bike? I’d gamble on stitches, maybe a broken arm, but I don’t want to lose teeth, and my brain is already acting rather iffy, so I probably shouldn’t risk a concussion.
JWH
Auxiliary Memory 
I just had my yearly physical a couple weeks ago. The first question my internist asked me was, “Have you fallen in the last year.” I replied, “No.” But several of my friends, roughly my age (69) have fallen in the past year. One friend, a colleague at the College I used to teach at was on a ladder cleaning his gutters. He fell, got a concussion, and now has memory problems. If I were going to ride a bike, I think I’d invest in one of those adult three-wheel bikes. We all become unbalanced as we get older.
I’m 65 and recovering from a mountain bike crash. I just can’t let go, not yet. But I did give up ladders…. 🙂
The thing about ladders is that no-one secures them properly at the top before they start leaning out at all angles and way over their point of balance … so there’s that.
And maybe think about different places to ride your bike, and wear a helmet. Are there dedicated bike paths nearby, or through parks? I wouldn’t ride my bike on anywhere near an even moderately heavy trafficked street these days. Too many idiots looking at their cellphones and not the road.
Recumbent 3-wheeler with bright paint and a prominent flag for visibility. Garden shed. Pricey solution, but sounds like you could afford it.
I’d still be using rollerblades if there was anywhere safe where I now reside. There’s no opportunity for dancing here either. Instead, I’m going to a pool and relearning how to swim. If you don’t actively use your body, of course you will lose both kinesthesia and the muscle tone needed for balanced movement. However the accumulation of injuries one suffers over the years does impair balance, and I can testify that stress and depression also make you quite accident prone.
Ladders are dangerous. I’d never go up one now if I could avoid it, and without access to health care it’s more than a little terrifying.
I have a new section of questions I now have to ask new senior residents about falling, including “Have you fallen in the last year?” Actually, I have about 15 questions, and even one or two yes answers requires me to at a minimum discuss the issue and provide information. It’s amusing to me, i’m a “young” senior, and 2 years ago I tripped over a sandbag and next thing I knew I was on my back on the ground looking up at the sky and wondering why I was on the ground looking up at the sky. Breaking a bone for the first time, therapy, arthritis, lost muscle tone, etc., I am now VERY sensitized to falls and the many causes described here.
Thanks for a really thoughtful essay and answers.