In the United States, approximately a quarter of older adults (65 and older) report falling each year. Of those falls, some are fatal, and others are physically and/or mentally debilitating. Serious falls can result in fractures, brain damage, and chronic pain – they can also decrease independence and negatively impact quality of life.
Luckily, early medical interventions and education can help reduce the incidence of falls. In 2012, the CDC launched the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) Initiative to help healthcare providers and caregivers prevent falls in older adults. STEADI outlines how clinicians can screen older patients to determine their fall risk. Many of these tests can be enhanced with digital biofeedback devices and equipment that generate quantitative data. These tools – and portable force plates, in particular – give clinicians greater insight into a patient’s fall risk than subjective data alone.
Fall Risk Factors in Older Adults
Falls caused by extrinsic factors, such as slippery surfaces, dim lighting, and improper footwear, are difficult to predict. While education can help older patients avoid risky behaviors and unsafe situations, it is difficult to prevent falls caused by environmental factors.
Falls caused by intrinsic factors, such as preexisting medical conditions and certain lifestyle choices, are easier to prevent. Risk factors that healthcare providers can and should screen for include:
- Advanced age
- Previous falls
- Chronic medical conditions, including vascular diseases, arthritis, diabetes, and vertigo
- Postural hypotension
- Cognitive disorders, like dementia and Parkinson’s
- Poor balance
- Impaired gait and mobility
- Impaired vision
- Poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies
- Inactivity
Common Fall Risk Screening Tests
If a healthcare provider suspects a patient’s risk of falling is high, they should assess the patient’s balance, gait, and strength. Common screening tests include:
- 30-Second Chair Stand Test: Measures how many times a patient can come to a full standing position from sitting in 30 seconds; scores that fall below the norm for the patient’s sex and age group are associated with an increased risk of falling
- Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test: Assesses how capably a patient can rise from a chair, walk 10 feet away, return to the chair, and sit back down; failure to complete the assessment in under twelve seconds indicates a high fall risk
- Tinetti Test: Uses a 28-point scale to measure gait and balance; scores under 19 indicate a high risk of falling
- Heel Rise/Calf Strength Test: Measures the strength of a patient’s triceps surae; inability to perform multiple repetitions is indicative of weakness that could predispose a patient to falling
- 4-Stage Balance Test: Assesses a patient’s ability to hold four progressively harder stances; those who cannot hold any of the stances for longer than 10 seconds are at increased risk of falling
- Unipedal Balance Test: Evaluates the patient’s ability to stand on one leg with eyes closed; inability to hold the position for a minimum of 5 seconds indicates high fall risk
How Force Places Make Screening Tests More Objective
The tests above don’t require specialized equipment; most healthcare providers use analog tools and equipment to assess their patients’ fall risk. While this approach is sound, it is not foolproof: evaluations vary from provider to provider, and scoring can be subjective.
Some forward-thinking healthcare providers have incorporated digital biofeedback tools, like force plates, into their screening tests. These tools generate quantitative data and make testing more objective.
Force plates measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) and can be used to collect center of pressure (COP) and center of gravity (COG) metrics. With that information, healthcare providers can accurately assess a patient’s stability, gait, balance, and right-left symmetry. When used alongside traditional tests, such as TUG, sit-to-stand, and balance tests, force plates help identify and monitor deficiencies that increase a patient’s fall risk.
How to Choose the Right Force Plates
Force plates are powerful tools that bring an element of objectivity to screening tests and can help curb the risk of falls.
If you’re a healthcare provider seeking ways to build personalized fall prevention programs for your patients, consider investing in force plates. If you aren’t sure how to select the right force plates for your needs and budget, partner with a distributor who sells a wide range of strength assessment equipment. These professionals have wide-ranging expertise and can provide unbiased recommendations to help you find the biofeedback tools that will best suit your needs.