Fear of Falling among Seniors: A Target to Consider in Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice?

ABSTRACT

Fear of falling, a frequent fear among community-dwelling seniors, can interfere with their activity level and social participation and negatively impact on their health and quality of life. Thus, it is an important factor to consider by occupational and physical therapists involved with this population. Based on the most recent studies in this field of research, this paper aims to provide occupational and physical therapists with a better understanding of the impact of fear of falling on seniors’ health and quality of life, and offer them guidance on how to assess fear of falling and other fall-related psychological factors and how to intervene on these factors.

KEYWORDS. :

• Aging
• fear of falling
• activity restriction
• falls
• assessment
• fall prevention