Addressing evidence gaps in fall-risk assessment for older Canadians

One in three older Canadians fall each year, this can result in injury, hospitalisation and even death. Balance problems increase with age and are one of the most important risk factors for falling. Guidelines for preventing falls recommend testing balance to identify older adults most likely to fall and require preventative treatment. However, it is still unclear which balance tests best predict falls. The goal of this research is to identify the best short balance test for fall-risk screening in older Canadians. We will study three commonly used balance tests in the CLSA. By looking at the balance scores of people who fall, we will be able to compare the predictive ability of the balance screening tests and determine the most suitable cut-off scores to identify those most likely to fall. This will be important for informing clinical care and health policy to prevent falls in older Canadians.