Pants dressing failure

 I can't successfully get my pants, shorts or underwear on without sitting down. I failed at the portion of the Berg Balance scale where you are supposed to stand on one leg for 5 seconds. I failed at this in therapy all the time, still fail at it now(maybe 2 seconds now). NEVER RECEIVED ANY  therapy protocols to address that failure. It seems most of the point of my physical therapy was testing so the PTs could successfully bill the insurance companies.  There was absolutely no pay for performance in any of my therapy. It there was, nobody would have gotten paid. THAT would concentrate your hospital's attention. I would have to say nothing in the Berg Balance scale is objective, 0-4 scale means subjective.

Berg Balance Scale

Objective

The Berg balance scale is used to objectively determine a patient's ability (or inability) to safely balance during a series of predetermined tasks. It is a 14 item list with each item consisting of a five-point ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating the lowest level of function and 4 the highest level of function and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It does not include the assessment of gait.

Intended Population

Elderly population with impairment of balance, patients with acute stroke (Berg et al 1995, Usuda et al 1998).

Method of Use

Equipment required

[1]

• A ruler
• 2 standard chairs (one with arm rests, one without)
• A footstool or step
• 15 ft walkway
• Stopwatch or wristwatch

The scale

Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________

Location: ________________________________ Rater: ___________________

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCORE (0-4)

Sitting to standing ________
Standing unsupported ________
Sitting unsupported ________
Standing to sitting ________
Transfers ________
Standing with eyes closed ________
Standing with feet together ________
Reaching forward with outstretched arm ________
Retrieving object from floor ________
Turning to look behind ________
Turning 360 degrees ________
Placing alternate foot on stool ________
Standing with one foot in front ________
Standing on one foot ________

Total ________