There is Nothing Funny about Joe Biden’s Fall

Joe Biden’s fall yesterday is unfortunate but it happens. As an elderly man, a male of 80 years, there is an expected risk of falls. As a matter of fact, older people are at a much higher risk of falls, due to decreased mobility, poor vision, and weakened reflexes. What tore me apart is seeing the old man struggle to wake up the first time. That inability to spring back up is precisely the reason Joe Biden fell plus whatever tripped him.

In medical settings and even in hospitals and care facilities, nurses are encouraged to assess patient fall risk and to mitigate risk factors such as blocked pathways, wires placed in pathways, a lack of support railings, etc. As such, falls do happen and they unfortunately happen amongst the elderly in society.

Fall Risk and Prevention in Medicine

You would be surprised to learn that there is a whole medical field centered on fall risk and fall prevention. This field particularly tries to figure out what causes falls, how they can be prevented, with special consideration for at-risk individuals including those suffering from dementia, cognitive impairment, delirium, etc. Fall prevention as a study and field of medicine tries to reduce medical complications and even fatalities that may be caused by falls.

Patients who are likely to fall or have been at increased risk of falling in the past are identified, probably by a flag in their medical records. Institutions and care facilities will then put this into consideration and instigate measures such as video monitoring to ensure falls are prevented. Other measures for fall prevention can include ceiling lifts, walkers, and gait belts. (Mayo Clinic)

There is also special consideration when it comes to how caregivers communicate with patients at risk of falls. These caregivers are encouraged to develop empathetic communication and to help patients with walking and transfers. As the human body ages, mobility is especially impaired as bones grow weak and frail and nurses are taught to remain empathetic. Caregiving when it comes to patients of falls should be done in a way that does not admonish the patient but rather in a way that helps them and guides them to reach their destination.

The Psychological Effects of Falls

As per the NHS, around 1 in 3 adults above the age of 65 and about half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year. Most of these falls do not result in serious injury but could lead to the individual feeling weak and like they have lost their independence. As you can imagine, this can have a mental toll and cause the individual psychological turmoil. Read more about falls on the NHS website.

Falls can also be caused by health conditions such as heart disease, low blood pressure, and dementia, which can cause an individual to become dizzy and momentarily lose consciousness. As such, my point is, let us not laugh or make political theatre on the serious issue of falls.

The Need for Empathy

Joe Biden’s fall and the other recorded public falls he’s undergone should not be treated as fodder for political rhetoric. Let us try and be empathetic and imagine what the president feels when every time he falls, the world looks on and some even laugh. I am sure it makes him feel powerless, like it looked like yesterday when he first tried to get himself up. I am sure he is distraught that age is taking away his cherished ability to run. Watch the video of Biden’s fall at the Air Force graduation on Twitter.

I feel for Biden. I really do. And as an old man who has given so much to this country, I think we owe it to him to show some respect and empathy. Let us not add to his pain; the pain of having to go through ridicule for tripping and falling.

The Privilege of Biden’s Service to America

Biden is an 80-year-old man who is working day and night to deliver services to the American people. His leadership is not a right to American citizens, it is a privilege. Joe Biden could have just retired and spent his days in a tropical villa somewhere. But he didn’t. He chose to rid America of the Trump and the consequent Trumpism, and fight to bring some semblance of virtue back to America.

Therefore, the next time someone makes a joke about how weak Biden is or how it is an embarrassment that he fell, tell that person that falls are a huge health risk and do happen, especially among the elderly and those with medical conditions. Let us not fall as a nation by sacrificing human empathy for a laugh or some political bigotry.

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