Fall Risk Assessment
Why assess someone’s fall risk and balance?
Falls are the leading cause of injury among older Canadians. Between 20-30% of seniors in Canada experience at least one fall every year. These falls cause 85% of seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations, 95% of all hip fractures, and $2 billion a year in direct healthcare costs.
Check out this infographic from the Government of Canada with additional fall-related statistics.
Protect Your Loved Ones and Secure Peace of Mind. Our dedicated team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation and design a customized action plan to minimize the risk of falling and potential injuries. Don’t wait; prioritize your well-being or that of your senior family members today.
Fall risk factors
- Adults over 60 years old are at a much higher risk of falling. This is because of “physical, sensory, and cognitive changes associated with aging” (reference: Physiopedia)
- Underlying medical conditions (IE. dementia, heart conditions, Parkinson’s)
- Medication side effects (IE. dizziness, vision blurring)
- Unsafe environments (IE. a cluttered or overcrowded home, stairs without appropriate rails)
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor vision
Impact of falling
A fall can have a dramatic long-term impact, particularly among the elderly. Beyond the obvious injuries (cuts & bruises, fractures, concussions, etc), a fall can lead to:
- chronic pain
- loss of independence
- organ damage
- increased symptoms in pre-existing health conditions
- internal bleeding
- fear of movement
- long-term hospitalization
What kind of testing does the physiotherapist do?
In order to assess your risk of falling, your therapist will use a series of specialized balance, strength, and range-of-motion tests.
These will include measuring your speed and endurance while walking as well as your balance using the BERG Scale (the most commonly used balance measurement tool, which consists of 14 items that are scored to determine your fall risk).
How can physio reduce your fall risk?
Once your therapist has completed your fall risk assessment, they’ll create a customized action plan to reduce your risk.
Most importantly, your therapist will work with you to improve your mobility, strength, and balance. An exercise program designed with these factors in mind is the most effective tool for preventing falls (Physiopedia).
Your therapist will also discuss your living environment and outline ways you can make your space at home safer (IE. grab bars in the washroom, railings on both sides of stairways, eliminating tripping hazards, etc).
Why Choose Acceleration for your Falls Risk Assessment?
Extensive experience
Trusted by other medical professionals
Full access to a functional rehab gym
What to Expect
At your Fall Risk Assessment, your therapist will conduct a typical physiotherapy assessment with additional testing/measurements. The appointment will take about an hour and costs $150 (this can be submitted through your extended health benefits if you’ve got them).
We suggest wearing clothing that you can comfortably move around in.
Next step
If you’ve got any questions about our Fall Risk Assessments, please feel free to get in touch with us. Or, if you’re ready to get started, give us a call at 587-338-4900 or click here to book an assessment online.
Testimonials
“James is the best PT I’ve even been to. I’d been to another PT who hadn’t helped and almost gave up, but thankfully I found James. He diagnosed me correctly, discovered the mechanism that was causing my discomfort, and provided me a progressive treatment plan, all while explaining things in terms that made sense to me. I am back to full activity and sleeping well again. I also like that wasn’t left for 1/2 hour with electrodes and a heating pad before even seeing him.”
– Deborah N
“Brilliant practitioners at Acceleration Physiotherapy. Suffered from a knee/hip issue that was causing significant pain and loss of quality of life. Acceleration’s team put a plan in place to ensure the issue was properly assessed…Issue is practically resolved now and Acceleration’s team have given me a clear plan to ensure issue doesn’t reoccur. I also felt a genuine concern for my recovery and desire from the team to diagnose the issue I was facing. That was a nice feeling.”
– Dave S