Spirduso
Balance has been shown to be an important predictor of falls within the elderly population
(Berg et al., 1992). It is a component that is needed to accomplish a wide variety of daily
living activities such as gardening, reaching for items in a cupboard as well as walking.
Throughout the years, several instruments have been developed as a means of quantitatively
measuring balance in the elderly population. These screening tools have been instrumental
in evaluating the ability to maintain balance and, subsequently, in the identification of those
individuals who present a substantial risk of falling in the very near future. In fact, it has
been noted that of all the functional tests, the Berg balance scale was, indeed one of the
most effective predictors for falls within community-dwelling adults (Shumway-Cook et al.,
1997a). However, it has been reported that this tool is not entirely representative in relation
to its predictability of completing more complex tasks or activities that are concerned
with measuring steady-state postural control as well as anticipatory postural adjustments