Which bedside mobility check times an older adult rising from a chair, walking 3 meters, turning, and sitting, with anything over about 12 seconds flagged as higher fall risk? I use it on my long-term care wing to open a respectful, dignity-first talk about supports — who else learned it early in school, and from who?
Timed Up and Go (TUG). I mark 3 m with floor tape and time them using their usual device; ‘≥12 sec’ is a heads-up, but age norms and the TUG-cognitive can shift the picture — kinda the mobility pop quiz. Learned it first semester from @MsPatel, and CDC’s STEADI one-pager is clutch: https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/TUG_test-print.pdf.
On my unit we keep the chair height consistent and let them use their usual device — then I note whether that ≥12 sec was with hands on the armrests or not. If they’re borderline, I’ll run a second pass or toss in a quick dual-task or 30-sec chair stand because , a sloppy start makes the stopwatch useless. I also note turn direction; a sticky pivot tells me more than the number sometimes. You do that too, @mreese54, or do you take the best of two TUGs?
That’s the TUG — 3 meters out and back — and I always note turn quality (how many steps to pivot) and any start hesitation; those tell me more than the stopwatch in my LTC crowd. If they’re over that 12‑second mark, I add a TUG‑manual with a half‑full cup to gauge dual‑task cost and loop in PT. @mbennett84 do you chart turn steps or just the total time?
Sounds like the Timed Up and Go. I do a quick ‘dress rehearsal’ lap before timing to cut the nerves, and I’ll recheck after meds or fluids if they’re wobbly because orthostatics can fake you out; curious if @mreese54 ever runs a fast-pace version to see if they’ve got any reserve — it’s helped on my hall.