To study functional balance with the use of berg balance scale and poma: a comparison with their history of fall amoung older adults from bhartimaiya old age home

Background: Human balance is a complex motor task. Its maintenance is essential in accomplishing daily tasks. The aging process and the chronic diseases that affect older adults lead to serious balance disorders, thus making such individuals more susceptible to falls. Physical mobility testing is an essential component of the geriatric Assessment .The BBS & POMA test measures basic mobility skills including a sequence of Functional manoeuvres used in everyday life. Method: 64 community-dwelling older adults with the age group of above 60 were selected on basis of inclusion & exclusion criteria from different old age homes in surat .Balance is assessed by BBS & POMA while mobility is assessed by POMA. Result: Data analysed by using t-test and pearson correlation which showed that there were significant difference of POMA scale and no significant difference of BBS between the groups with or without history of falls. Conclusion: The older adults with a history of falls performed poorly in the functional balance evaluation compared to those with no history of falls. These data demonstrate the importance of the balance tests in clinical practice as screening tools for older adults who are more susceptible to falls.