Together · 30 min · For caregivers
A plan for if they fall
Talking through, in advance, what an older person would do after a fall, so a fall does not become a long night on the floor.
Preventing falls matters, and it is not always possible. The bigger danger is often what happens next: being unable to get up or call for help. A plan made calmly in advance, with the person themselves, can turn a frightening hour into a manageable one.
The steps
Four small steps,in your own time.
Sit down with your parent and ask, gently: if you fell at home, what would you do. Listen to their answer before you suggest anything.
Agree how they would call for help from the floor: a phone kept in a pocket rather than on a table, a personal alarm worn on the wrist or neck, a phone left low down in each room.
Agree who would come: a neighbour with a key, a family member, or an alarm service. Write the numbers on a card near the phone.
Ask their doctor or a physiotherapist whether someone can show them a safe way to get up from the floor, or to stay warm and comfortable while they wait.
The reason
Why it helps
Lying on the floor for a long time after a fall can lead to serious problems, even when the fall itself causes no injury. A phone or alarm that is always within reach, and a person who can get in quickly, shortens that time. Talking about it in advance also makes it less frightening to think about.
A gentle variation
If your parent dislikes the idea of an alarm, start with something smaller: keeping the phone in a pocket, or a daily check-in call or message at an agreed time, so someone notices quickly if they do not answer.
WE · TRIBE
Try itwith someone.
Practise once together: lie on the floor, reach for the phone, and call the number on the card. It may feel a little silly, and it can be reassuring to know the plan works.
Try it today
Today, ask an older relative where their phone is when they move around the house, and agree it lives in a pocket.
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