I hope she is not in too much pain, but she should retire. Lost my mom in her 80s to a fall from broken hip. Small and frail like Ruth. Same with MIL fell on mahogany furniture broke hip and died. No meat on their bones. Very tough to recover.
Prayers up for Ruth!
About 3 years ago I slipped on a hidden patch of ice (I thought I was being careful, but failed to see the ice in time). And I fell (well, I must have fallen because I "came to," lying on the ground). Apparently I wasnt strong enough to break my fall, and landed face-first on my hand which was on the sidewalk. In retrospect I should have gone to the Emergency Room, because my bell had been rung, and I knew it. Took a week to recover.No meat on their bones. Very tough to recover.That was at the end of the winter, and the following Christmas my gift was a pair of alpine style walking sticks. They are helpful walking, and if I see any potential for tripping I make doubly sure to have at least one of the sticks poised in front of me so that I am confident that if I do trip, I wont fall.
Hillary first ran into health trouble (as far as we know) getting her bell rung from a fall. And it was treated as a joke when her minions gave her a football helmet as a gift, but before the kids got me those walking sticks I was seriously considering that very thing for myself. As a way of putting some meat on the head bone. You have to wonder if some creative type couldnt style some light plastic padding/armor for the head, knees, hips, and other vulnerabilities of people who arent as meaty" as they once were (and fat doesnt count).But I gotta say, the walking sticks are a lot less of a fashion (mis)statement than a football helmet would be.