Elderly Fall Screening Test

A quick, simple test that can identify those who need a more comprehensive falls risk assessment and help guide preventive recommendations.

The Elderly Fall Screening Test assesses balance and gait in older people who may be at high risk for falling. It is an easy to use, quick assessment that has been shown to be highly reliable.





Several factors can increase an older person’s risk of falling: low blood pressure, medications that make them feel sleepy or unsteady, poor vision, floor clutter, rugs or other environmental hazards. Identifying those at high risk of falling can help health care professionals prevent falls, reduce the cost of treating injuries and improve the quality of life of older adults.

A few common screening tools are:

Timed Up and Go (TUG): have a patient sit in a chair, rise to a standing position, walk three meters and return to a sitting position. If it takes more than 12 seconds for a patient to complete this exercise, they are at high risk of falling.

Single Leg Stance (SLS): have a patient stand on one leg with their arms crossed. Have them hold this position for 10 seconds without touching the suspended foot to the ground, moving their hands away from their chest or displacing their weight-bearing foot.

Five Times Sit to Stand (STS): have a patient sit in an armless chair, then stand up and sit down five times as quickly as possible. Have them record the time required to complete this task.