Gait training and falls in the elderly.

1. Patients with gait and balance disorder, as measured by the Tinetti Mobility Scale, can benefit from physical therapist-assisted gait training. 2. Score in the Tinetti Mobility Scale negatively correlates with the number of recurrences of falls. 3. The nurse's role includes identification of those who are at risk for falls, assessment of their response to training in preventing recurrence of falls, and the effect of training in their mobility and independence.