Journal of geriatric physical therapy
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J Geriatr Phys Ther · Oct 2014
A modified fall risk assessment tool that is specific to physical function predicts falls in community-dwelling elderly people.
Developing a practical fall risk assessment tool to predict the occurrence of falls in the primary care setting is important because investigators have reported deterioration of physical function associated with falls. Researchers have used many performance tests to predict the occurrence of falls. These performance tests predict falls and also assess physical function and determine exercise interventions. However, the need for such specialists as physical therapists to accurately conduct these tests limits their use in the primary care setting. Questionnaires for fall prediction offer an easy way to identify high-risk fallers without requiring specialists. Using an existing fall assessment questionnaire, this study aimed to identify items specific to physical function and determine whether those items were able to predict falls and estimate physical function of high-risk fallers. ⋯ These findings may contribute to earlier identification of high-risk fallers and intervention for fall prevention.