Fall Risk Among Older Adult High-Risk Populations: a Review of Current Screening and Assessment Tools

Falls are a leading cause of injury and accidental death among older adults. This is especially true for high-risk populations such as those who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias. We outline general concerns related to falls for those who belong to these populations. This is followed with a description of general fall risk screening instruments and an introduction to fall risk tests and measures. We provide a brief overview of their applicability to high-risk populations. We conclude with guidance on how practitioners can use existing tools to conduct appropriate fall risk prevention screening and assessment activities that lead to the appropriate selection of evidence-based fall prevention programs for older adult high-fall-risk populations.