{
  "id": 19335083,
  "title": "‘Scared to death of those stairs’: Addressing the fear of falling among older adults",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/scared-to-death-of-those-stairs-addressing-the-fear-of-falling-among",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-10T13:17:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/11/10/scared-to-death-of-those-stairs-addressing-the-fear-of-falling-among-older-adults"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Title: Addressing the Fear of Falling Among Older Adults\n\nBen Melancon, a former athlete now in his 70s, shared his experience of falling down stairs more than a dozen times, leading to a lasting fear of using stairs. This fear, which is common among older adults, can lead to a decrease in physical activity and an increased risk of falling. A national survey conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that 63% of adults do not recognize anxiety about falling as a risk, while 60% do not recognize hearing loss as a risk factor, and 74% do not recognize an urgent need to use the bathroom as a risk. Falls are a major public health concern across Europe, contributing to hospital admissions, disability, loss of independence, and premature death among older people. The severity of injuries increases with age, with 32% of fall-related injuries among people aged 65 to 74 requiring hospital admission, rising to 39% among those aged 75 to 84 and 45% among people aged 85 and older.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}