Fall Risk Assessment Tool for Elderly People

The fall risk assessment tool is a valuable and practical intervention for health practitioners who wish to identify older people at high risk of falls. It is based on the multifactorial etiology of fall risk factors and can lead to early prevention and intervention.

Tools to Screen Older Persons for Fall Risk:

A simple fall risk assessment can be carried out in primary care, with the use of a quick test such as the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The TUG is a simple exercise in which an elderly person is asked to get up from a chair, walk 10 feet and then sit down again. If this takes more than 12 seconds, it indicates a high level of fall risk (Moyer, 2012).

Cognitive tests to check for cognitive problems are also used during the fall risk assessment. These include the Allen cognitive screen, which measures a person's ability to perform and learn information globally.

FROP-Com and Tw-FRHOP:

The FROP-Com is an individual risk assessment that assesses six aspects of fall risk including gait and balance, medication use, and vision. Medical Alarms It has a more detailed description of risk factors than the SOYF and is suited to more comprehensive assessments. It is suitable for the assessment of older persons with a recent fall or who present with multiple problems or are unresponsive to health practitioner follow up.