bathroom, because sometimes I fall." One stated, ... I want someone beside me to tell

me things and ... At least to prevent me from falling because the last time I fell."

 Some caregivers were in the room during the interview and interjected information

about falls and their fear of the stroke survivor falling in the future. Caregivers made the

following comments, "I'm afraid he's going to fall again", "We don't want him to fall",

and "Cause I'm afraid he'll fall and wouldn't be able to get up." Stroke survivors were

aware of their caregiver's surveillance of possible falls and attempts to decrease falls

incidence. For instance, one stroke survivor commented, "My wife keeps attention when

I walk, if I fall or something", and another said, "She was watching me, to see if I was

gonna fall." Still others stated, "Well, they help me to stand up and walk, right? And they

fear that I might fall, right?" Another said, "During the day my wife is here with me in

the house, here .. paying attention to everything I do, too. If go walk over there she's

paying attention that I don't fall or anything."

 A general tool for the management of fear of falling and a reduction of future falls

was simply to "be careful" or "cautious". For example, one man said, "I don't know how

to describe it but I think that you, uhh, are more cautious and more careful like, uhh,

umm, in you, when you in bathrooms, if you're in the shower and, uhh, you have to use,

sit down in the chair so that you won't fall." Being "careful" while performing specific

mobility and other everyday activities was commonly addressed. Being cautious was

expressed in the following excerpts: "It's about the same, only thing you do is um, make

sure you don't trip over nothing' an' try your best to sit some place where you don't fall

off of nothing and "I walk slower. I take my time now ... but I, uh, try my best to avoid

tripping. I just slow down." Another said, "Yeah, I, uh, had to be very careful 'cause, uh,