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Fall Prevention: Who's at Risk?¹

Sergio Romero²

There are many risk factors associated with falls. Some risks are environmental, like poor lighting. Others relate to diseases people have or medications they take. It's important to know if you are at high risk for falling. Take this quiz to see if you are at risk! For each question, circle "yes" or "no."

Table 1.

Do you take more than two medications daily?	Yes / No
Have you or those around you noticed a change in your hearing?	Yes / No
Do you wear glasses or have any vision problems?	Yes / No
Have you fallen in the past year?	Yes / No
Do you have one or more of the following: Parkinson's disease, stroke, high blood pressure, urinary incontinence, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, or another neuromuscular disease?	Yes / No
Do you get dizzy when you get up, change position, or walk?	Yes / No
Do you have trouble picking up objects from the floor, reaching overhead, getting in and out of a chair, or walking without holding on to something?	Yes / No
Do you have throw rugs, stairs without rails, uneven surfaces, slippery floors, or cluttered walkways in your house?	Yes / No
Are you fearful of falling?	Yes / No
Do you wear shoes with high heels or slippery soles?	Yes / No
Do you have poor lighting conditions in your house?	Yes / No

If you answered "yes" to any of the questions, you may be at high risk for falling. Ask your doctor or health care provider about modifications and actions you can take to lower your risk of falling.

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Footnotes

1. This document is FCS2227, one in a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Publication date: April 2005. Please visit the EDIS Website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2. Sergio Romero, MS, ATC, ENAFS education assistant, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Reviewed by Leigh Ann Martin, MS and Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.

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Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.