"Am I At High Fall Risk?" 7 Questions to Ask Yourself

A lot of times, it can be hard to determine whether or not you are personally at high risk for falling. As a physical therapist, I assess people every day to determine their level of fall risk, and take many factors into consideration: their history, their current strength and balance, what medications they are taking, and their current activity levels. I frequently see individuals that have difficulty seeing their own limitations clearly, especially when there isn’t a dramatic incident that changes their mobility, but rather a gradual decline in mobility and function over the course of many years.

I’ve put together 7 simple and easy-to-answer questions to help you determine whether you (or someone you know!) is at risk for falls. The more questions you answer “yes” to, the more important it is to start taking steps to improve your balance. 

Question #1: Have you had 1 or more falls in the last 12 months, or more than one “near-fall”? 

Unfortunately, the research is loud and clear: if you have fallen once- just one time- this doubles your chance of falling again. “Near-falls” are just what they sound like: instances where you stumble and catch yourself, or lose your balance and are able to recover, before fully falling. These instances can be scary, but we can use them to our advantage by taking them as a sign to take action. 

Question #2: Do you “furniture cruise”?

“Furniture cruising” is a term we use as physical therapists which refers to when someone holds onto furniture or walls when walking. For example, if you are in your kitchen, you might have one hand on the counter as you walk, then you may find yourself reaching to hold the kitchen table. As you walk towards your living room, may find that you tend to have a hand on the wall, and then you grab hold of the back of the recliner, and then the doorway. Your body naturally starts doing this “furniture cruising” pattern when it’s looking for some extra stability and support. If you notice yourself doing this, you can take it as a sign your body is telling you that it needs some strength and balance improvements. It can also be a sign that an assistive device may be a good idea in the meantime - click HERE for more details about whether an assistive device is right for you, and if so, which one.

Question #3: Are you fearful of falling? 

This one can seem counterintuitive, but research does support that if you are scared that you are going to fall… you are, in fact, more likely to fall. According to research from Neuroscience Research Australia and the World Falls Guidelines,  “Concerns - or fears - about falling triple the risk of future falls. You can read more about this by clicking HERE.

Question #4: Do you use one (or both) hands to help yourself stand up from sitting? 

Rising from sitting, or “sit to stand,” is a great test of functional strength and has been well-researched as a good predictor of fall risk as well. It’s important that your leg muscles are strong enough so you are able to get up from sitting without using any hand support. This is also important so you don’t wear out the (relatively) small muscles in your arms and shoulders, as this can lead to shoulder or elbow pain. You can quickly and easily yourself using the “Five Time Sit-To-Stand Test." Click HERE to read more about this test. If you have difficulty standing up from a sitting position, I’ve got you covered! Click HERE to read tips to help this be an easier movement, starting today.

Question #5: When you are on stairs, do you use your arms to push or pull on the railing? 

When you go up the stairs, do you use your arms on the railings to pull yourself up, or do you push down a lot through your arms on the railings to help take pressure off your legs? Or, when you’re coming down the stairs, do you put a lot of your weight through your arms on the railing? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s likely a sign that your legs need some strengthening. You should be able to climb up and down a flight of stairs using your hands on the railings for some balance support only, not for doing a lot of the heavy work to get you up and down the stairs. 

Question #6: Do you have friends or family that say you’re walking slower than you used to? 

Walking speed, or “gait speed” is often called “the 6th vital sign” because research has linked it so strongly not only to functional status, but also to general health in the older adult population. If your strength and balance aren’t what they used to be, you will probably notice that you aren’t walking as easily or as briskly as you used to. A decreased gait speed, or slower walking rate, has been linked to an increase in fall risk. 

Question #7: Do you feel unsteady when you walk, or just don’t feel like you walk “like you used to?” 

This question goes along with walking speed, but it’s more subjective, since it’s just a general feeling you either have or don’t have. If you feel less steady when you walk, or you feel more wobbly or unsure on your feet, you’ll want to start taking steps to build your balance back up so you don’t risk falling and injuring yourself. Not sure where to start? Try The Balance Boost’s “6 Weeks to Steady Challenge” - it's free and it only takes 3 days a week, and can be done without any equipment. Click HERE to start today.

I always praise my physical therapy patients who seek out PT treatment for balance and fall prevention before they have actually fallen. Many will tell me they have experienced “near falls” or say that they simply aren’t feeling as strong and steady as they used to. This is the best time to do something about it: prior to actually falling and risking an injury, which would take longer to recover from. The earlier you start addressing your strength and balance, the more quickly you will feel back to your usual self, and the lower your risk of falling in the meantime.