Tinetti POMA - PTMeasures.com

Equipment needed: Hard armless chair, Stopwatch or wristwatch, 15 ft walkway
Completion Time: 10–15 minutes
Scoring: Balance and gait subscales: Balance max = 16, Gait max = 12, Total max = 28.

Balance Sub-section (Max 16 points)

Subject is seated in hard, armless chair. The following maneuvers are tested.

1. Sitting Balance

0 – Leans or slides in chair 1 – Steady, safe

2. Arises

0 – Unable without help 1 – Able, uses arms to help 2 – Able without using arms

3. Attempts to Arise

0 – Unable without help 1 – Able, requires > 1 attempt 2 – Able to rise, 1 attempt

4. Immediate Standing Balance (first 5 seconds)

0 – Unsteady (swaggers, moves feet, trunk sway) 1 – Steady but uses walker or other support 2 – Steady without walker or other support

5. Standing Balance

0 – Unsteady 1 – Steady but wide stance (medial heels > 4 inches apart) and uses cane or other support 2 – Narrow stance without support

6. Nudged (subject at maximum position with feet as close together as possible, examiner pushes lightly on subject's sternum with palm of hand 3 times)

0 – Begins to fall 1 – Staggers, grabs, catches self 2 – Steady

7. Eyes Closed (at maximum position of item 6)

0 – Unsteady 1 – Steady

8. Turning 360 Degrees

Steps

0 – Discontinuous steps 1 – Continuous steps

Steadiness

0 – Unsteady (grabs, staggers) 1 – Steady

9. Sitting Down

0 – Unsafe (misjudged distance, falls into chair) 1 – Uses arms or not a smooth motion 2 – Safe, smooth motion

Gait Sub-section (Max 12 points)

Subject stands with examiner, walks down hallway or across room, first at "usual" pace, then back at "rapid, but safe" pace (using usual walking aids).

10. Initiation of Gait (immediately after told to "go")

0 – Any hesitancy or multiple attempts to start 1 – No hesitancy

11. Step Length and Height

Right swing foot

0 – Does not pass left stance foot with step 1 – Passes left stance foot

Right foot clears floor

0 – Right foot does not clear floor completely with step 1 – Right foot completely clears floor

Left swing foot

0 – Does not pass right stance foot with step 1 – Passes right stance foot

Left foot clears floor

0 – Left foot does not clear floor completely with step 1 – Left foot completely clears floor

12. Step Symmetry

0 – Right and left step length not equal (estimate) 1 – Right and left step length appear equal

13. Step Continuity

0 – Stopping or discontinuity between steps 1 – Steps appear continuous

14. Path (estimated in relation to floor tiles, 12-inch diameter; observe excursion of 1 foot over about 10 ft. of the course)

0 – Marked deviation 1 – Mild/moderate deviation or uses walking aid 2 – Straight without walking aid

15. Trunk

0 – Marked sway or uses walking aid 1 – No sway but flexion of knees or back or spreads arms out while walking 2 – No sway, no flexion, no use of arms, and no use of walking aid

16. Walking Stance

0 – Heels apart 1 – Heels almost touching while walking

Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA)