Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalization, injury-related death, and the major reason for admission to a residential care facility. Falls and fall-related injuries decrease the quality of life and independence of many seniors each year. A fall can happen anywhere, but most falls happen in your own home. Be active, take your time, live safe and choose smart to reduce your chances of having a fall, to continue the activities you love, and to “stay in the game”.

At Sina Medical Clinic, we offer a program for full risk assessments and falls preventions for qualified patients. This program is offered by Dr Kathy Rahnavardi and her team of nurses and medical assistants.

Eligibility criteria:

• Aged 65 and over
• Has had at least 1 fall in the past 12 months
  • patients who have sustained a fall-related fracture are prioritized
• Has not been diagnosed with a progressive neurological condition (e.g., Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.)
• Has reasonable cognitive function, and has not been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease (MMSE score of 24 or higher)
• Is ambulatory (with or without assistive device)
• Has a life expectancy of >1 year
• Scores 3+ on the PRISMA-7 Questionnaire (see below)

Appointments needed:

At least two appointments are required. 

• 1st appointment (10-15 min):   The first appointment is done by one of our nurses. It can be done in-person or by phone/telehealth. During the appointment the nurse will go over an intake form, gather information about your overall health, list of medications, and your medical history/illness. If you qualify for an assessment, a second appointment will be scheduled for you.  If you are a BC resident and have an active BC services card (MSP) your first visit will be covered. 
•  2nd appointment (20-30 min): This visit will be more comprehensive and you will be assessed by both Dr Rahnavardi and one of our nurses. The visit will be in-person and the nurse will check your height, weight, BMI, and orthostatic blood pressure. You will then be assessed for a Frailty exam and at the end the doctor will review your results with you. This visit will not be covered by MSP and you will be responsible for the payment ($150).
• 3rd / follow-up appointment (10-15 min): The doctor may suggest a follow up appointment depending on the finding from previous appointments. The clinic staff will contact you to book a follow up if needed and the visit would be covered by MSP.

Fees:

If you are a BC resident and have an active MSP card, your 1st and follow up appointments will be covered by MSP. The 2nd appointment for full assessment will not be covered by MSP. As such, the patient is responsible for the payment; however, if you have extended health insurance this visit could be reimbursed by a 3rd party insurance. The fee for the assessment visit is $150.  You can check with your insurance company ahead of time to see if they cover the visit fee.