STEADI Initiative for Health Care Providers | STEADI - Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC Injury Center

STEADI Initiative for Health Care Providers | STEADI - Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC Injury Center

CDC Expert Commentary

Are You Asking Older Adult Patients the Right Questions?

By asking three simple questions and taking action—when needed—you can reduce the risk of falling.
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3 Questions to Ask Your Older Adult Patients

When you see patients 65 and older, make these three questions a routine part of your exam:

1. Have you fallen in the past year?
2. Do you feel unsteady when standing or walking?
3. Do you worry about falling?

If your patient answers "yes" to any of these key screening questions, they are considered at increased risk of falling. Further assessment is recommended.

STEADI Interventions

STEADI Phase One includes 3 steps that you can complete in one visit:

1. ASK patients if they’ve fallen in the past year, feel unsteady, or worry about falling.
2. REVIEW medications and stop, switch, or reduce the dosage of drugs that increase fall risk.
3. RECOMMEND vitamin D supplements of at least 800 IU/day with calcium.