Fall Risk Calculator / Fall risk checklist
How to Perform a Fall Risk Assessment
Answer the 12 questions of the CDC STEADI Stay Independent checklist to see whether you may be at risk of falling.
Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button. Your result appears here.
How the STEADI checklist works
The CDC's STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries) programme uses 12 statements. A fall in the past year and using a walking aid score 2 points; the others score 1.
Total of 4 or more = may be at risk of falling
One in four Americans aged 65 or over falls each year. Most falls are preventable with exercise, medicine reviews, vision checks and home changes.
Fall risk tools
| Tool | At-risk score |
|---|---|
| CDC STEADI checklist | 4 or more of 14 |
| Morse Fall Scale | 45 or more (commonly) |
| Gait speed | Below 0.8 m/s |
Common questions
How can I lower my risk of falling?
Strength and balance exercise such as tai chi, a medicine review, eye checks, safe footwear and removing trip hazards at home.
What is a normal walking speed for older adults?
About 1.2 to 1.3 m/s in the 60s and 70s. Below 0.8 m/s is considered slow.
Should I talk to a doctor?
Yes, if the result worries you or if you have new symptoms. These tools support, but do not replace, a clinical assessment.
Sources
- US Social Security Administration. Actuarial life table, 2022 period life table (2025 Trustees Report).
- Levine ME et al. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging 2018;10:573–591; Liu Z et al. PLoS Med 2018;15:e1002718 (and correction).
- Morris JF, Temple W. Spirometric "lung age" estimation for motivating smoking cessation. Prev Med 1985;14:655–662. Quanjer PH et al. ECSC lung volumes and forced ventilatory flows. Eur Respir J 1993;6 Suppl 16:5–40.
- CDC. STEADI: Stay Independent brochure. Morse JM et al. A prospective study to identify the fall-prone patient. Soc Sci Med 1989;28:81–86.
- Bohannon RW, Andrews AW. Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy 2011;97:182–189. Studenski S et al. Gait speed and survival in older adults. JAMA 2011;305:50–58.
- Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Functional evaluation: the Barthel Index. Md State Med J 1965;14:61–65. Shah S et al. J Clin Epidemiol 1989;42:703–709.
- Morley JE et al. A simple frailty questionnaire (FRAIL). J Nutr Health Aging 2012;16:601–608. Searle SD et al. A standard procedure for creating a frailty index. BMC Geriatr 2008;8:24.
- Kivipelto M et al. Risk score for the prediction of dementia risk in 20 years among middle aged people. Lancet Neurol 2006;5:735–741. Tombaugh TN, McIntyre NJ. J Am Geriatr Soc 1992;40:922–935.