Information for Researchers and Educators

Balance and Mobility

Video

• Video Assessments
  • FAB Scale
  • Berg Balance Scale
  • Multidirectional Reach Test

Tools You Can Use

• Gerontological Society of America: Online search for topics related to fall prevention. Home Safety Council.
• “Prevention of Falls in the Elderly Population: Facts about falls in elderly Canadians as well as detailed preventative measures for persons in various physical stages. (PDF)
• "Promising Pathways: Falls Prevention Programs for Older Canadians Living in the Community” –A Handbook of Best Practices: Handbook designed for professionals and others who work with seniors and veterans in the community and is based on a comprehensive review of falls prevention programs around the world. (PDF)
• Recruiting and Retaining Effective Instructors for Physical Activity Programs: This brief focuses on the challenge of recruiting and retaining qualified physical activity instructors for older adults. (PDF)

Websites

• Fear of Falling: “A Matter of Balance”: The primary objective of the intervention "A Matter of Balance" was to reduce fear of falling. The secondary aim was to increase physical, social and functional activity.
• National Resource Center for Safe Aging: This website contains a wealth of falls-related information for public health professionals, with links to many other useful sites.
• Strength Training by Older Persons: “Strong for Life": Study aimed to design, implement and experimentally evaluate an in-home, muscle strength and balance program designed for older persons with some degree of physical disability.

Articles

• “A Best Practices Guide for the Prevention of Falls Among Seniors Living in the Community: Results of study to review fall prevention programs and practices resulting in evidence for effective approaches for reducing injury among seniors, as well as efficient means of delivering prevention programs.
• Epidemiology of Falling: List of links about risk factors for falling, documentation of falls in nursing homes and more.
• Falls In The Elderly: Analysis on determining and treating the underlying cause of falls.
• Preventing Falls in Older Californians: State of the Art (Preconference White Paper): White paper outlining the significance of injurious falls to older persons, best practices to reduce fall risk, screening for fall risk and descriptions of appropriate interventions tailored to individual needs. (PDF)
• Creating a California Blueprint for Fall Prevention (Conference Proceedings): White paper discussing the scope of the problem of fall prevention, interventions in California, other system-wide interventions and effecting change in California. (PDF)
• Guideline for the Prevention of Falls in Older Persons: Detailed article about the risk factors for falling and recommended interventions. (PDF)
• Preventing Falls: Which Intervention Is Most Effective?: Outlines several interventions that have successfully reduced the incidence of falls among elderly people living at home.
• Research Papers on Falls Prevention: List of links to many research papers about fall prevention.
• Research Review Papers: Review includes risk factors and prevention strategies, role of exercise in reducing falls, role of medication modification in fall prevention and the role of environment at home and the community in fall prevention. (77pages long) (PDF)
• Validation of a Behavior-Based Fear of Falling (Pilot Study): Goal of this study was to test a new functionally-based Fear of Falling instrument that addresses some of the limitations in existing instruments.

Other

• Balance and Mobility Specialist Instructor Certificate: This program is designed to provide physical activity instructors and health care professionals with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to develop and implement fall risk reduction programs in their communities.