Balance Outcome Measure Cases

You & your colleagues are planning to be a part of a health & wellness fair in your community. You decide that you want to provide BP screening as well as a balance screen for older adults in community. Which measure would you choose?

functional reach

You are treating a pt post stroke in acute rehab. They are not able to walk very far, walk slowly, & walk even slower when you are talking to them. You know this will significantly impact their ability to ambulate in the community & plan to address these deficits. What tool would best measure your progress?

Walking while talking, TUG-cog

You work in home care & just eval’d a pt w/ Parkinson’s Disease. You know that his balance is definitely “off” but you aren’t sure exactly what aspects of balance are most impairing. His insurance is very strict, so you want to choose a tool w/ strong psychometric properties & a way to tell that he is truly making change. What tool would you select?

mini-BEST

Your pt just had a stroke 2 weeks ago. You are treating her in acute rehab & she is unable to transfer or walk w/o assistance right now. You would like to objectively measure her balance. What tool would you use?

FIST

You work in outpatient & are treating a pt w/ vestibular dysfunction. She reports that her daily home & community activities are limited because she feels unsteady on her feet when she is walking. What measure would you select to assess her current limitations & future progress?

DGI

You work in homecare & have just been referred to see an older woman who reports to you that she feels her mobility is declining because she only walks around in her small apt because she is afraid to walk outside for fear of falling. What tool do you think would best measure root of her problem?

Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC)

You are working w/ a pt who has had a stroke. He requires min-mod A for walking right now. You want to better understand his ability to maintain his balance both statically & dynamically, sitting & standing. What would be the best measure to use?

BERG

Quick screen for someone's balance

functional reach

Look at change demands with walking tasks

DGI