At Premier Medical Group, our primary focus is our patients’ quality of life. By taking preventative measures, such as scheduling a fall risk assessment, we can help you restore confidence on our feet and decrease the chances of injury due to falls.
What is a fall risk assessment?
A fall risk assessment determines the likelihood that an individual is to fall. The assessment itself encompasses a series of questions and tools to test your strength, balance, and the way that you walk. You can call to schedule your fall risk assessment at Premier’s Podiatry division. If it turns out that you happen to have an increased risk of falling, both awareness for yourself and strategies from our board certified podiatrists can then be applied to reduce your chances of injury.
Why bother with a fall risk assessment?
Among adults 65 years of age or older, falls are quite prevalent and commonly inevitable. According to the CDC, every 12 seconds, an individual within this age range is admitted to the emergency department due to a fall. Moreover, falls hold the highest mortality rates in this group of adults. There are various risk factors that could induce these individuals to fall as well. Some of these include: chronic illnesses, balance disorders, and impaired vision. As a result, common injuries due to falling may range from bruising to broken bones, head or spinal injuries, and can even be as severe as death. If you could prevent the inevitable or decrease the chances of injury due to falls, why wouldn’t you?
What are common fall risk diagnoses?
Common fall risk diagnoses include:
- Muscle weakness
- Ataxia
- Decreased balance response
- Gait abnormality
- Osteoarthritis (localized primarily in ankle/foot)
- Arthropathy (ankle/foot)
- Pain or instability of ankle/foot
- Mild drop foot
- Hemiplegia
- Multiple Sclerosis