Summary

What it measures:

Fear of falling during both easy and difficult physical activities and social activities (1=not at all concerned, 4=very concerned) (Yardley et al, 2005) 16 items: • 10 original items from the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) (Tinetti et al, 1990) • 6 additional items assessing walking on slippery, uneven, or sloping surfaces and visiting friends or relatives, going to a social event, or going to a place with crowds Short-FES-I (Kempen et al, 2008) has 7 questions and is used to assess fear of falling in frail older adults with and without cognitive impairment; it may show floor effects in higher functioning older people (Hauer et al, 2010)

Target Population:

Older adults with or without a history of fear of falling; older adults with mild to moderate dementia

FES-I is translated into about 15 different languages.

This test was identified by APTA's Section on Geriatrics and Home Health Section for use in functional limitation reporting.