Abstract

Fear of falling is a major health problem for older adults. A high percentage of elderly people who both do and don’t have a history of falling have reported fear of falling. Fear of falling is commonly reported to have a profound and generally negative impact on mobility independence in older adults and it affects their quality of life. Over the last twenty years there has been an increased interest in fear of falling. It is a possible cause of disability and mobility restriction that may lead to psychological and behavioral problems. This chapter summarizes current data relevant to the definition, epidemiology, evaluation and management of falling fear. It elaborates on the relationship of fear to fall with other causes of fall. The aims of this chapter are to explain the concept of fear of falling, assess measures of fear of falling, and identify risk factors for fear of falling.