Abstract
Falls represent a major risk for older adults, often resulting in injury, decreased independence, and increased healthcare utilization. Traditional fall-prevention programs primarily focus on environmental modification and strengthening, with limited attention to body awareness and the role of proprioception. This single-case study explored whether a six-week occupational therapy intervention emphasizing body awareness could improve balance, confidence, and functional performance in an older adult with fear of falling. The intervention protocol included body brushing followed by repetitive body-awareness and balance exercises incorporating visual and tactile feedback to strengthen sensory–motor integration [1]. Evidence suggests proprioceptive and body-awareness–based interventions enhance neuromuscular activation and balance performance [2,3], while specific repetitive neurokinetic exercise has been shown to improve core endurance, pelvic alignment, and flexibility supporting retraining of neuromuscular control and proprioceptive efficiency [4]. Preliminary findings from this project indicate that integrating body-awareness strategies into OT fall-prevention improved performance across all fall-related assessments and increased client self-perceived performance and confidence, suggesting potential to improve movement confidence and balance-related performance.