It's very important that senior loved ones see their doctor after a fall, even if nothing appears wrong. This article was eye-opening for me: https://homewithyou.com/aftermath-of-a-fall/

Think this article should be updated to let folks know of the possibility of an expensive bill when they call their local fire department for a lift assist. (Depending on their county.) Check with them before you need them.
Ours charges $175 - never covered by insurance for any lift assist.

Even when my Mom couldn't get up off a new couch because she wasn't able to stand up properly & the cushions were too soft. Another $175 bucks. Disgusting to me that they charge so much.

It is cheaper for us to rent a Hoyer Lift for a monthly fee, than to ever call our local fire department.

Mom fell in the bathroom and although she didn’t break anything she’s banged up. The facility called me to tell me but didn’t have many details. Mom has dementia and has no memory of fall when I get there and ask her about it. What can I do to get more information about it?

My husband has FTD dementia, now on hospice. But when he has fallen and I can not get him up I have called 911 and the paramedics/fireman have came to pick him up. I have not been charged for this and they are always really nice and helpful. You tube has some videos on how to get up when you or family has fallen that is helpful. My husband is very thin but so stiff and can not help to get himself up.

Two falls in the last 6 months both resulted in broken bones.
I am completely in shock, scared to walk my dog, scared to ride my bike.
How do I recover some sense of security after this?

I'm basically pretty steady on my feet, but had a real scare a couple of months ago. Was at my son's home for their baby's birthday party, and was walking into the house from the back yard bringing some dishes into the kitchen. This house is new to them, moved there less than a year ago. There is an oddly angled step at an odd height from the patio to the back porch, and my hands were full so I couldn't see the step. Misjudged the height, fell back onto the patio, first onto a sitting position but went the rest of the way onto my back and head. Lots of blood, very scary. My son called paramedics and they called an ambulance, wound up at an emergency room. Spent the afternoon there with both sons, got a CAT scan, fortunately showed nothing abnormal, no concussion or anything, I was completely aware the whole time. Come to find out that a metal barrette in my hair sliced into the skin and I wound up with four staples in my back hair. (They didn't shave any of it off, fortunately.) They turned me loose with my whole head wrapped like a mummy; when we got back to the house everybody had fun with hats and scarves deciding what looked the least ridiculous. Went to church and work with scarves like a hijab for a week, and then got the staples out. No, am not using metal barrettes any more. My son sent me a picture of the new Granny Step that he added to the porch to help folks keep their footing.

I bought a Hoyer lift with my own money on Amazon. It's been a lifesaver. My mom has end-stage Alzheimer's and she will totally go limp and become dead weight if you try to get her up. She is capable of standing and even walking, but for some reason if you try to get her up she will go limp. She most likely can get herself up but she does not have the cognition to do it. I had no idea Medicare will pay for a Hoyer lift, but I'm sure there is a ton of red tape to go through and I really needed to get one.

My uncle Darren can't stay on his feet. Don't know if he's pissed or just a spacca

I just read about a new product - a belt that's worn around the waist that contains two "Hip Air Bags" one on each hip. The "belt" looks like a fanny back except with two packs - each one located above the hip. According to this article, the bags inflate before the wearer hits the floor as they contain sensors of some sort. Not the most attractive thing to wear but what an innovation!

I'm having the same problem - my mother has weak legs and sometimes she cannot get up on her knees. Afraid I was get hurt lifting her.

Really need advice on how to pick up those that are wheelchair bound and cannot get up due to fused knees (arthritis) and no upper body strength.

This is great for those that have not had knee replacement surgery. The cannot get on their knees. How about a plan for those in this scenario?

Sandwich42.... The trick is to be proactive n not reactive... By assisting the person to stand wo falling vs. assisting them off floor after a fall. Putting someone in a nursing home because of falls, isnt going to prevent them from falling. Now instead of 1 on 1 care at home (with padded carpet) you are placing them in worse situation.... Prob 1 on 7 care where no one may notice they fell for up to 30 min or so, cuz they rarely fall in arms reach of the call button. Despite the fact that most facilities have no carpet. Dont be sold on the false sense of safety in bed/wheelchair alarms... They dont prevent falls (unless person is sooooo slow getting on their feet) but at least they wont lie on floor as long when alarm is going off. And for sure dont be sold on nursing homes providing your lived one w/ care and assistance 24/7...yes there are CNAs n nurses physically there....but they ate down the hall heloing

Just found this excellent article. I like Captains suggestion of using a stool though . My husband age 81 fell in the bathroom this evening and somehow got wedged between toilet and sink cupboard There was no way I could get him up so I called the ambulance ( 999 ) as we are in the UK.
Three Paramedics arrived swiftly who were perfect angels (two men and a girl) and got him up. They checked him over thoroughly and will be sending the Falls
Physio. to give us advice. Thank God for our great ambulance service - it sure beats most of the doctors, as these paramedics are so well trained and friendly and take time to do the job properly. At least thats my experience.

Thats crazy isnt it when a hoyer lift is free from Medicare or less than $400 On amazon?

Yesterday I talked to one of my customers and found out she recently purchased the "Camel" inflatable product (from the distributor in Michigan) for her husband who has fall issues. She hasn't used it for him yet but tried it out herself and was very impressed- easy hookups and she thinks it should work great. So a very good report- I know they are costly but it wasn't as bad as the $3000 I had thought.

This is really helpful. I must admit I've tried to pick up both of my parents and even though I didn't get hurt it wasn't safe for me or them to try.

Mom fell on carpet, face down. Knee felt wet. Dark red slacks. I cut the pant leg to the thigh and WOW she split the knee wide open, exposing the knee cap. Never even snagged the pants, felt no pain at all. Even the EMT said WOW. It took 17 staples to close the wound. So when they say they are fine, don't believe them.

In early March 2012, when my mom was 92, she had a fall in our dining/living room of our condo. I was in the kitchen nearby and tried to run quickly to help her avoid the backwards fall, only to see her already hit the floor with her head pointing toward the glass top coffee table. I got to her just in time to catch her head to prevent it from bumping the table! I confirmed that Mom's arms and legs could move and I told her that I would call 911 for help. She told me her back hurt but did manage to slowly move herself to the couch and lie on it until help arrived. The injury was a stress fracture of the T-9 position of the backbone. Our family who were willing to help us lives out of state, so we contacted each other by phone/email (some family visited twice that year to see Mom) to help me assist Mom for doctor visits and medications for pain management. The injury healed in about 2 months, then rehab started and lasted for 6 months. Fortunately, I was home at the time because I was unemployed then. Mom did not have to go into a rehab center.

Very nice article for lifting strategy. As far as products to help with lifting (or to prevent the fall) we see many new products at national tradeshows and would be glad to offer suggestions if anyone wants to contact me. Everyone's situation is different and sometimes it is only a matter of time as to who gets hurt first- the person or the caregiver. However in all cases a medical alert is a great idea.

My relative has an alarm. It's a Godsend. Once she presses it, the EMS is summoned. I wouldn't be able to follow the instructions in how to pick her up. First of all, she only has one chair. Secondly, she can't roll over by herself due to hip surgery and arthritis. Then she can't get on her knees due to same. If she happens to fall in front of her recliner, I have been able to get her back up.

Excellent advice. 1st time my 87 year old mother rolled off her bed a few months ago, we managed to figure out how to get her up; had only one chair, but it worked. Second time recently, I called EMTs as she had hit her head on the floor and seemed disoriented and had little strength to roll onto her knees. Checked out OK, but three weeks ended up hospital dor heart attack. Now that that is treated we're trying to adjust for extremely low blood sugars in the morning. Very important to keep the doctors aware as so much can be going on without apparent symptoms.

Very helpful, thank you. I think I'll print those step-by-step instructions out and keep them handy - it's hard to think clearly when your 90 year old is face down on the floor.

place a sturdy footstool behind then and lift , guide them back onto the stool . its imperative that you calm them first and ask them to rest for the impending transfer . dementia care is 95 % phsycological . broken bones ? ive had them , youll know .. youll be calling 911 if bones are broken ..

Because of spine and/or neck injuries, I would be on the phone to 911 and let the EMT's assess if there are any issues.

Excellent information! The mechanics of getting back upright. Thank you!

This article concerning falls is most helpful. My 82 year old father has fallen 3 times in the past month. Because he always says he's okay, I haven't notified his doctor. I will do this immediately since Dad is on several medications related to Parkinson's disease and hypertension. The information in the article is invaluable. Thank you "Sunshine" Daughter

Just as a further suggestion to people, at least in our area, all (most) of the EMTs are happy to help caregivers assist their loved ones up after a fall. I've called them three times in the last year.

Also, for those oldsters living alone or spending time alone, the new Life Alert type alarms detect falls. I had a Realtor lockbox device on mom's back door with the house key inside. I never had to use it, but I registered the pass code with the Life Alert company so they could give it to the ambulance crew should mom have fallen and need assistance.

A family friend's sister died on her bathroom floor and wasn't found for at least 12 hours. Would she have lived had she gotten assistance from one of these alarm companies? Don't know. But she refused to spend the $49/month to protect herself. She died with over $1 million dollars. She didn't take it with her.

My mom will practically pull me down there with her if I try to help. She wants me to literally hold her whole self up and won't use any of her muscles in the process. She never learned how to get up off the floor or how to get up off the floor in roller or ice skates as a kid. The way she pulls and grabs has hurt my shoulder, back, and wrist before. I wasn't built to have a 200 pound person swing from my arm!

This falling issue and the difficulty in getting mom back upright was one major consideration in letting her age in place at home vs. live in a residential facility (where she is now).

good article