Circle “YES” or “NO” For Each Statement Below
Why It Matters
YES 2 YES 2 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1 YES 1
NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0 NO 0
I have fallen in the past year.
People who have fallen once are likely to fall again.
I use or have been advised to use a cane or walker to get around safely.
Unsteadiness or needing support while walking are signs of poor balance. People who have been advised to use a cane or walker may already be more likely to fall.
Sometimes I feel unsteady when I am walking.
I steady myself by holding onto furniture when walking at home.
This is also a sign of poor balance.
I am worried about falling.
People who are worried about falling are more likely to fall.
I need to push with my hands to stand up from a chair.
This is a sign of weak leg muscles, a major reason for falling.
I have some trouble stepping up onto a curb.
This is also a sign of weak leg muscles.
Rushing to the bathroom, especially at night, increases your chance of falling.
I often have to rush to the toilet.
I have lost some feeling in my feet.
Numbness in your feet can cause stumbles and lead to falls.
I take medicine that sometimes makes me feel light-headed or more tired than usual.
Check Your Risk for Falling Symptoms of depression, such as not feeling well or feeling slowed down, are linked to falls. These medicines can sometimes increase your chance of falling. Side effects from medicine can sometimes increase your chance of falling.
I take medicine to help me sleep or improve my mood.
I often feel sad or depressed.
Add up the number of points for each “yes” answer. If you scored 4 points or more, you may be at risk for falling.
This checklist was developed by the Greater Los Angeles VA Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center and affiliates and is a validated fall risk self-assessment tool (Rubenstein et al. J Safety Res; 2011: 42(6)493-499).
#Choose2GiveBack
THANK YOU to our new friends at Hope Lutheran Church for having us Sunday, October 14th for a Fall Prevention Workshop. We were delighted to get to know new faces, and catch up with a few familiar ones. Joe, Erin, and Nicole were on site teaching the members of the church about certain risk factors which increase ones risk of falling, as well as the assessments we use as Physical Therapists to assess an individuals Fall Risk. We found each member in the community knew what their blood pressure and eye sights were, but no one knew what their risk of falling was.
*Among older Americans FALLS are the #1 cause of death from injury and injuries.*
If you want to see what your risk of falling is, to avoid the startling statistic above, please call Sam or Nicole and request a free Fall Risk Assessment!!
Gratefully, Erin : )
www.choiceptny.com
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