After a Fall: When a Comprehensive Falls Assessment Is Needed

A fall is an event, not a diagnosis. Understanding why it happened is important because the next step can range from simple strength and balance work to a broader medical and functional assessment.

When a broader assessment is appropriate

A comprehensive falls assessment is particularly important when someone has had repeated falls, is living with frailty, needed medical treatment after a fall, lost consciousness, or could not get up independently. These patterns can reflect multiple interacting risk factors.

What may be considered

Assessment may look at gait, balance, strength, functional ability, long-term health conditions, neurological signs, vision, hearing, medication, continence, bone health and hazards in the home. The aim is to identify modifiable factors rather than assume every fall is caused by weak legs.

Exercise still has an important role

When exercise is appropriate, it should be tailored, progressive and focused on the functional components most relevant to the person's falls risk, such as balance, coordination, strength and power.

MSF pathway: the Pain & Movement Screen can identify a lower-risk starting point, but recurrent or unexplained falls should be routed toward MSF Physiotherapy or appropriate medical assessment rather than a purely self-directed programme.