ASSESSMENT SCALES

Berg Balance Scale

The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was developed to measure balance among older people with
impairment in balance function by assessing the performance of functional tasks. It is a valid
instrument used for evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions and for quantitative
descriptions of function in clinical practice and research. The BBS(Berg Balance Scale) has been evaluated in several reliability studies. A recent study of the BBS(Berg Balance Scale), which was completed in Finland, indicates that a change of eight (8) BBS(Berg Balance Scale) points is required to reveal a genuine change in function between two assessments among older people who are dependent in ADL(activity daily living) and living in residential care facilities.

Description:

14-item scale designed to measure balance of the older adult in a clinical setting.
Equipment needed: Ruler, two standard chairs (one with arm rests, one without),
footstool or step, stopwatch or wristwatch, 15 ft walkway

Completion:

Time: 15-20 minutes

Scoring: A five-point scale, ranging from 0-4. “0” indicates the lowest level
of function and “4” the highest level of function. Total Score = 56

Interpretation: 41-56 = low fall risk
21-40 = medium fall risk
0 –20 = high fall risk

A change of 8 points is required to reveal a genuine change in function between 2 assessments.

Berg Balance Scale