Good for the elderly
What to Do if an Elderly Person Falls Down. Stay calm and help your loved one to remain calm by encouraging them to take slow, deep breaths. Examine them for injuries like bruises, bleeding, possible sprains and broken bones. Ask them if they are experiencing any pain, where it is located and how severe it is.
8 Things the Doctors Should Check After a Fall
An older person who falls and hits their head should see their doctor right away to make sure they don’t have a brain injury. Many people who fall, even if they’re not injured, become afraid of falling.
How to Safely Help Someone to Get Up
For seniors, fractures are the most serious consequence of falls (short of death). The most common bones to fracture in falls are: The hip, femur (thigh bone), pelvis, and vertebrae (spine);
After the Fall
What You Should Do Immediately After A Slip and Fall Accident
According to Cheng, “An 80 year old often can’t tolerate and recover from trauma like a 20 year old.” Cheng’s team found that approximately 4.5 percent of elderly patients (70 years and above) died following a ground-level fall, compared to 1.5 percent of non-elderly patients.
Your doctor may also recommend the RICE method:
Falls can be classified into three types:
Place a cold compress or ice pack on any bumps or bruises. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain if your child is alert. Let your child rest, as needed, for the next few hours. Watch your child closely for the next 24 hours for any unusual symptoms or behavior.
To help the person stand up from the floor, bring a chair close to him. Ask him to roll onto his side, get onto his knees, then support himself with the chair seat while he stands up. If the person needs more than a minimal amount of help, do not attempt to lift the person by yourself.
If the fall should cause a broken bone with skin disruption, get emergency care immediately. Most other sprains, strains or fractures can be safely treated by your primary care physician or at a certified urgent care.
Falls can cause adverse psychological impact on carees, increased fear of falling again, decreased self-efficacy, and confidence in balance [5].
It can take a few minutes to feel pain from injuries. If someone else falls it’s important to reassure them, and assess the situation together, before you act. Find out more about what to do when someone falls in this leaflet (PDF, 1 MB).