He was hospitalized on Tuesday, his office said.
After going to the hospital following the fall, Sen. Dianne Feinstein is at home, her office said.
“Senator Feinstein went to the hospital as a precaution after a minor fall at her home yesterday afternoon. Her scans all came back clear and she is back home.”
ABC News has independently confirmed that he tripped on a chair in his home around 1pm on Tuesday.
Falls are the leading cause of injury death in adults over age 65, causing more than 36,000 deaths in 2020. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, three million older adults are treated for falls in emergency departments each year.
Feinstein’s daughter provided power of attorney
Feinstein’s daughter, Katherine Feinstein, has also been granted power of attorney over her mother in a legal case brought by Feinstein’s daughter against the foundation of her husband, Richard Bloom, who died last year.
In a court documentKatherine Feinstein is listed as the senator’s “attorney-in-fact,” a way of referring to a person who has power of attorney over another, according to the American Bar Association.
It is unclear why Katherine Feinstein has power of attorney. Her office told ABC News, “This is a private legal matter. Senator Feinstein and her office have no comment.”
There are many reasons to give someone a power of attorney, not all of which are related to health or capacity.
The American Bar Association notes that convenience is one of the reasons people typically grant a power of attorney, especially in cases where someone needs to be in another state. It is relatively common for elderly people to appoint someone of attorney for precautionary purposes.
A power of attorney can also be used if a person is incapacitated.
It is not uncommon for an elderly or wealthy person to hire a lawyer.
Feinstein’s previous health problems
Feinstein, 90, returned to the Capitol in May after being hospitalized in February with shingles. He was released in early March and continues to recover at home.
After being hospitalized in February, Feinstein’s absence from the upper chamber was a sticking point for some members of her party on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
California Rep. Ro Khanna and New York Rep. Some on the left side of the party, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, argued in May that Feinstein’s resignation would harm the federal judiciary.
“I want to treat Dianne Feinstein fairly. I want to be sensitive to her family situation and her personal situation,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Turpin said on CNN on May 7. “But the bottom line is that the business of the committee and the Senate suffers in her absence.”
Feinstein said at the time that she was looking forward to “resuming” her work on the Judiciary Committee.
“The Senate faces many important issues, but the most important is ensuring that our government does not default on its fiscal obligations. I look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee as it considers the president’s judicial nominees,” he said.
ABC News’ Trish Turner and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
