Did someone just fall? Details

Call 911 if they hit their head and are confused, drowsy, vomiting or have a bad headache; if they cannot get up or move a leg, hip, arm or back; if they have chest pain or trouble breathing; or if they take a blood thinner and hit their head, even if they seem fine.

Otherwise, do not pull them up. Help them sit, check for pain, and stay with them. Call their doctor the same day. This page is for planning ahead; it cannot assess an injury.

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The CDC fall-risk checklist

Twelve Yes/No statements from the CDC’s STEADI “Stay Independent” checklist. Answer for yourself, or for the parent you are worried about. It takes about three minutes and runs on this device. Your answers stay on this phone. The page counts only that the check was started and finished; no answers or scores are sent.

Someone just fell and is hurt, can’t get up, or hit their head? Call 911 now; this checklist can wait. Feeling hopeless or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988, any time.

What this checklist is, and what it is not

1. I have fallen in the past year. (Yes = 2 points)

People who have fallen once are likely to fall again.

2. I use or have been advised to use a cane or walker to get around safely. (Yes = 2 points)

People who have been advised to use a cane or walker may already be more likely to fall.

3. Sometimes I feel unsteady when I am walking. (Yes = 1 point)

Unsteadiness or needing support while walking are signs of poor balance.

4. I steady myself by holding onto furniture when walking at home. (Yes = 1 point)

This is also a sign of poor balance.

5. I am worried about falling. (Yes = 1 point)

People who are worried about falling are more likely to fall.

6. I need to push with my hands to stand up from a chair. (Yes = 1 point)

This is a sign of weak leg muscles, a major reason for falling.

7. I have some trouble stepping up onto a curb. (Yes = 1 point)

This is also a sign of weak leg muscles.

8. I often have to rush to the toilet. (Yes = 1 point)

Rushing to the bathroom, especially at night, increases your chance of falling.

9. I have lost some feeling in my feet. (Yes = 1 point)

Numbness in your feet can cause stumbles and lead to falls.

10. I take medicine that sometimes makes me feel light-headed or more tired than usual. (Yes = 1 point)

Side effects from medicines can sometimes increase your chance of falling.

11. I take medicine to help me sleep or improve my mood. (Yes = 1 point)

These medicines can sometimes increase your chance of falling.

12. I often feel sad or depressed. (Yes = 1 point)

Symptoms of depression, such as not feeling well or feeling slowed down, are linked to falls.

Your score

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Lower risk

What to do next

Source: CDC STEADI, “Stay Independent” brochure (cdc.gov PDF) and CDC STEADI clinical algorithm (PDF), checked 2026-10-14. The checklist comes from the VA Greater Los Angeles Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center: an initial check against a clinical exam in 40 older adults (Rubenstein et al., J Safety Res 2011;42(6):493–499, PubMed 22152267), whose authors call for a larger study that follows people over time; CDC’s version is adapted from it. Education, not medical advice.