For those caring for aging parents and worried about their risk of falling, knowing what signs to look for can make all the difference \u2014 and it only takes about 10 seconds.<\/p>\n
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Falls are the leading cause of injuries for elderly adults, but keeping an eye out for simple signs could reduce the risk. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
While falling risk increases as we age, it rarely \u201ccomes out of nowhere,\u201d according to geriatric specialist Dr. Anita Chandra<\/a>. Many people show subtle changes beforehand.<\/p>\n How they perform four key actions \u201ccan be early signs of declining strength or balance.\u201d<\/p>\n Enter the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, a four-step screening tool where both time and movement are of importance.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I\u2019m watching much more than the stopwatch,\u201d Chandra said in a social media post<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m watching how they move. Movement often tells me more than imaging ever could.\u201d<\/p>\n Read on for the four movements Chandra evaluates.<\/p>\n 1. Standing up without using their arms<\/p>\n Does your parent need the assistance of their arms to stand up out of the chair? The need to push off with their hands can be an early sign of lower-body weakness or age-related muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia<\/a>.<\/p>\n As muscles weaken over time, everyday tasks like climbing stairs or getting out of a chair can become more difficult, as well as increase the risk of falling.<\/p>\n 2. How they walk<\/p>\n Chandra also recommends paying close attention to how your parents walk: Are they walking slower or taking short steps? Are they swinging their arms? Do they seem unsteady?<\/p>\n We may walk slower and become more tired from walking as we age due to ankle mobility, with an Australian study<\/a> finding that older adults stiffened the ankle to prevent falls.<\/p>\n This in turn forces the muscles to work harder, causing shorter strides, slower walking and faster fatigue.<\/p>\n 3. How they turn around<\/p>\n There\u2019s more to this part of the TUG test than meets the eye.<\/p>\n \u201cTurning around requires balance, coordination and strength,\u201d Chandra said. \u201cA slow or unstable turn often tells me to dig deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n And the sooner you can keep an eye out, the better, as balance begins to decline as early as age 50, with adults only being able to stand on one foot<\/a> for 45 seconds compared to one minute or more for adults in their 20s and 30s.<\/p>\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dr-anita-chandra-137699287.jpg\")
Dr. Anita Chandra, a geriatric specialist, shared what to look for during the Timed Up and Go test that determines fall risk. Dr. Anita Chandra<\/p>\n