Abstract
Falls can take a devastating toll on an individual's physical and psychological wellbeing. Falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths, disability and premature nursing home admission in people over the age of 65. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate how appropriate identification and multifactorial interventions tailored to a patient can be used to decrease fall risk in an older adult. The case patient is a 75 year old male with a history of 2 falls in the 4 months leading up to the physical therapy evaluation. The patient's initial Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) score was 64.58% which puts him at risk for falls. An initial Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) score of 17 also put him in the fall risk category. The patient's Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score of 30 categorized him as having a moderate fall risk. The patient attended physical therapy to address balance and strength deficits. After 6 physical therapy sessions implementing static and dynamic balance interventions as well as lower extremity strengthening, the patient's fall risk assessment scores improved. His ABC score increased 2.82%, the DGI score showed a 3 point increase and the patient's BBS improved 4 points. Posttest results indicate a decreased fall risk in the patient.