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What can older people do if they are afraid of falling?

Improving older people's fear of falling requires a concerted effort by both the older person and the family carer, with the main interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy and exercise interventions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy：

Many older people's fear of falling stems from excessive misperceptions about falls, so it is necessary to help older people acquire correct perceptions about falls. For example, we need to change their irrational beliefs such as ‘if you exercise, you will fall’ and ‘if you fall, you will break a bone’, etc., and help them to change their misperceptions and effectively reduce their fear and anxiety of falling by the rational belief that they will not fall if they exercise in a scientific way. By using the reasonable belief that ‘scientific exercise does not cause falls’, we can help the elderly to change their misconceptions, effectively reduce their fear of falling and anxiety, and bravely take the first step to overcome the fear of falling from the psychological point of view.

Exercise Intervention：

Once an older person has had a fall, they become fearful of falling and moving less or even not moving is the first response. Unbeknownst to them, fear itself greatly increases the risk of falling again. Taking precautions and strengthening the leg muscles is the best way to prevent falls. Exercise intervention is a way to help older adults with balance exercises, strength training, etc. through movement exercises.

Appropriate strength training can help older people improve their balance and increase muscle strength, which in turn can play a significant role in preventing falls and alleviating osteoporosis. Older people can also reduce the risk of falls by improving their physical stability through exercises such as tai chi and square dancing.