Are You at Risk of Falling?

Did you know that around one in three adults over the age of 65 will have at least one fall a year.  Half of these again will fall more regularly.  Sadly the natural ageing process means you have an increased risk of falling.  As you know the outcome of a fall can be anything from a few grazes and hurt pride to something more serious like a broken bone(s) and a stay in hospital.  Not trying to be alarmist but the simple fact is that in the UK the most common cause of injury related to death is a fall.

Physio’s have several tests we can perform during an assessment to help us identify if someone is at risk of falling.  These tests are also useful indicators of what particular movements or functional tasks you may be struggling with.  Using this knowledge we can then plan a specific treatment plan and exercise programme to help you move better and reduce the risk of falling.

Having searched the internet I have found, thanks to Dr Google a few little quizzes that you can do yourself to see if you are at risk.  There are certain factors that automatically increased that risk like being on lots of medications.  This is because of the possible side effects they can cause.  Other factors include wearing glasses or contact lenses,  being under more than 3 doctors care for different problems and having rugs in your home.  Believe it or not,  so many people fall because they catch their toe on the edge of a rug.  Over time rugs also tend to curl up at the edges.

Here are 2 different quizzes you can take to see if you are at risk of falling.

• Rate Your Risk of Falling by Rubenstein et al (2011)

Scoring is 1 point for each “yes”. A score of 4 or more indicates you may be at risk of falling.

Click Here 

• The Easy Living Falls Risk Quiz 

To score this quiz, count the number of “yes” answers for questions 1-9 and the # of “no” answers for questions 10-14.  The higher your score, the higher your fall risk is.  Even a relatively low number indicates some areas that could increase you risk for falling that should be addressed.

Click Here 

If there is a risk of you falling, even if it is a small one,  it is definitely a good idea to see your GP and also book an appointment to see a Physio who specialises in Falls Prevention type assessment and treatment.

Please don’t hesitate to call us if you need any advice or are unsure where to go or who to see.  We would be more than happy to help.  Anything we can do to reduce your risk of falling  and the chance of you ending up in hospital is a very very good thing!

Originally posted 2nd November 2017