Nobody wants to suffer the setback of a fall. Thankfully, falls can be prevented. September is National Fall Prevention Month and we’d like to help stop you or your loved one from being at risk of falling. With just a few simple balance and strength tests, we may be able to help you prevent a fall.
What are fall risk prevention tests like?
Fall risk prevention tests are simple and non-invasive, so there’s nothing to feel worried about. The tasks involve movements that come up in normal day to day life. Here are some examples.
The get up and go test
This checks your balance, strength, and speed. The task? How well you can stand up, walk 3 meters, and sit down again, four times. You can use your cane or walker if you normally use one.
The fall efficacy scale test
For this test, you will answer a number of questions. We want to know how confident you feel about completing day-to-day tasks on a scale of 1 to 10. Here’s a couple of example questions:
- How confident are you that you can get in and out of bed without falling?
- How confident are you that you can take a bath or shower without falling?
The 4-stage balance test
No walking aids for this balance test. You’ll be asked to stand with your feet in a few different positions for 10 seconds at a time while we check your balance. Don’t worry, we’ll be there to catch you if you feel unsteady.
The 30-second chair stand test
This one checks your leg strength and endurance. We’ll ask you to stand up from a seated position as many times as you can without using your arms over a 30 second period.
Keep safe from falls with a fall risk assessment test
Falls don’t have to be an inevitable part of getting older. Here at Physicians Hearing Care, we offer fall risk assessments. If it looks like you or your loved one is at risk of falling, we can create a fall prevention program to help make life easier and safer.
