How can I tell if I am at risk of falling?

You can get a structured first answer from the self-assessment tools on no-fall.hk, the website of 社區防跌行動 (Community Fall Prevention Action), run by the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The site offers a 跌倒危機評估 (fall risk assessment) and a 骨質疏鬆危機評估 (osteoporosis risk assessment), alongside background pages on why older adults fall and fracture. These tools are a starting point for deciding whether to seek a professional assessment — they are not a diagnosis.

What the site actually offers

The site is organised around four content areas plus a services section:

The self-assessment section is the part that directly answers "am I at risk?" The rest explains the mechanisms behind that risk.

Why falls and fractures are linked

The site treats falls and bone fragility as connected problems rather than separate ones. Three threads run through its content:

• Fractures and falls — the page on causes of fractures and falls frames a fall as the event and bone weakness as what turns it into a fracture.
• Osteoporosis — reduced bone strength means a fall that would be minor for someone else can produce a fragility fracture.
• Sarcopenia (肌肉減少症) — loss of muscle mass and strength affects balance and stability, which raises fall risk in the first place.

This matters for interpreting your own situation: two people who fall equally often can face very different fracture risks depending on bone density and muscle condition.

How sarcopenia is checked and diagnosed

The site separates three things that are easy to confuse:

1. 檢查 (screening/checking) — an initial step to flag possible muscle loss.
2. 診斷 (diagnosis) — confirming the condition.
3. 預防 (prevention) — what to do about it.

If you are working through the site's material, treat the screening step as a filter, not a verdict. A positive screen is a reason to pursue a proper diagnosis, not a conclusion in itself.

What to do with your assessment result

The assessment result is most useful as a decision trigger. Depending on what it suggests, the site's own structure points to different next steps:

• Elevated fall risk → look at the home safety material and the service programmes (anti-fall shoes, hip protectors, vibration therapy).
• Elevated osteoporosis risk → look at the diet and exercise sections, and consider whether a clinical bone assessment is warranted.
• Signs of sarcopenia → follow the screening-to-diagnosis path rather than jumping straight to prevention content.

Practical notes before you start

• The site is available in Chinese with an English language toggle, so you can switch if reading in English is easier.
• The self-assessments are questionnaires you complete yourself; the site does not describe them as replacing a clinical evaluation.
• The service programmes listed (rehabilitation, vibration therapy, anti-fall shoes, hip protectors) are described on the site, but no pricing or eligibility details appear in the available page content — check directly with the programme if cost or enrolment matters to you.
• The site also has a FAQ section covering "Am I prone to falling?", "Will I get osteoporosis?", "What is sarcopenia?", and "How do I rehabilitate after a fracture?" — useful if you want short answers before committing to the longer pages.

If your assessment or your own recent experience (a near-fall, a fall, unsteadiness) suggests meaningful risk, the appropriate next step is a professional assessment rather than continued self-checking.