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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FALLS PREVENTION FOR SENIORS - PART 3
This next part is essential for everyone and could be the most important section of this article, so please take your time going through the content. All of it!
I say it’s most important because there is always a chance that a fall could happen to anyone, and that means you or someone you know.
The outcomes of a fall when older are usually much more severe with an increased risk of more serious injury, and getting up off the floor usually isn’t so simple and quick. It can be difficult if the physical capabilities required are not there.
Getting off the floor incorrectly can cause more injury, and those who may be around to assist may also put themselves at risk of injury or falling and risk being stuck on the floor also.
So it’s essential to be prepared by having a plan to avoid falls the best you can and get help if you fall.
It’s also important to know what to do if you fall and how to get up off the floor most efficiently and safely. And also how to help someone who has fallen.
BE PREPARED - WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL
In Parts 1 and 2, we covered all required to decrease your falls risk to a large extent.
This next part is essential for everyone and could be the most important section of this article, so please take your time going through the content. All of it!
I say it’s most important because there is always a chance anyone could fall, which means YOU or someone you know!
The outcomes of a fall when older are usually much more severe, with an increased risk of serious injury. Additionally, getting up off the floor usually isn’t so simple if the physical capabilities required are not there, potentially leading to further issues.
Furthermore, those who may be around to assist you and do so incorrectly may also put themselves at risk of injury or falling, ending up in the same predicament.
So it’s essential to know how to be prepared for a fall if one was to happen, know what to do if you fall, how to get up off the floor safely, and how to help someone who has fallen.
In this part, we are going to cover all of this.
CONTENTS OF PART 3:
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL
Below is a flow chart on what to do if you fall and find yourself on the ground.
I have made it so you can print this to have a copy you can refer to.
Click on the diagram below, download and print it, and familiarise yourself with it.
SHARE THIS SECTION with anyone who could benefit from it. It may save a life!
Steps to Take Following a Fall - Click to download and print
As you can see from the diagram, many scenarios can occur following a fall.
The best possible outcome of falling is not having any injuries and getting up safely. In this scenario, you should still tell your doctor just to make sure there is no injury you may have missed.
It's also important in all cases to understand why you had your fall, which your doctor will help uncover.
Take note of the red section on the right in the diagram above. This is a situation following a fall in which you are on the ground, injured or not, unable to get up, with no way to summon help.
This is where many problems following a fall arise, and it's a situation WE MUST AVOID BY HAVING APPROPRIATE MEASURES IN PLACE.
HOW TO REDUCE HARM AND SUMMON HELP IF YOU FALL
This step aims to ensure that if a fall occurs, you can get help as quickly as possible to minimise any secondary consequences.
We will go through some questions to ensure you're covered for most situations if you fall.
CAN YOU GET UP OFF THE FLOOR?
If you were to fall in your home (assuming no injuries), do you feel you could safely get back up off the floor?
You want to ensure you have the physical capabilities to get up off the floor if you were to have a fall. The best way to do this is through exercise and a healthy diet to improve your strength, balance and fitness.
We will cover how to get up off the floor safely below.
For various reasons, some of you reading this may have difficulty getting up off the floor, or if you were injured, you want to stay where you are until help arrives - to avoid further injury.
In these situations, it is VERY IMPORTANT to be prepared and able to summon help effectively.
IDENTIFYING SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE PUTTING YOU AT RISK
Are there walks or activities you undertake where it might be challenging to get up from the ground if you fall?
(An example could be: walking on your own through an open field, a sports oval or a walking track. In these places, there is nothing to hold onto).
If your answer was yes -
If you lack confidence in your physical capabilities to get up and you were to have a fall, in such a situation, the best thing you can do is find an alternate route to take to avoid this.
If you cannot recover in situations like this, you may be in a hazardous situation.
If this is a route that cannot be avoided, many actions can be taken to minimise the dangers, e.g.:
Do everything in this guide (all three parts).
Take your walking aid with you if you have one.
Tell a friend or family member where you are going.
Take your mobile phone with you and keep it handy.
In summary, if one of your activities or walking routes could put you in danger of falling, be prepared or, better still, change your activity (if possible) with a safer option.
HOW TO SUMMON HELP IF YOU FALL
If you were to fall and injure yourself, would you be able to get help in all situations?
Think of all areas of your house and the tasks you undertake, and determine how you would get help if you fell.
Here are ways to summon help in different situations:
a) In The House (Particularly the Bathroom):
Someone you live with (spouse, family member or roommate, neighbours, carers).
Telephone (cordless or mobile are best) - always kept charged and with you.
Pendant alarm.
c) Outside
Be sure there are people around; get to know your neighbours.
Mobile phone kept with you (pocket, bag or walking aid).
SUMMARY - WAYS TO SUMMON HELP:
People: Attract the attention of those around you (family, neighbours, friends etc.)
Landline Phone: Throughout your house in close reach, or always keep a cordless phone with you.
Mobile Phone: kept charged and with you, especially when outside.
A Pendant Alarm.
Note: Make sure phones are always within reach; cordless or mobile phones are best in the house or outside.
To safeguard yourself further, have a check-in system with a neighbour, friend or family member where you can check up with each other daily at a specific time.
BEING PREPARED: Creating A Falls Emergency Plan
At this stage, we've ensured there is a way to summon help if you fall.
This section will determine who to call if you fall and ways to quickly contact them.
WHO TO CALL
1. KNOW YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS OR NEIGHBOUR'S NUMBERS
The first step is to determine and know who you would call if you were to fall.
Right now, think of three people you would call if you were to have a fall.
You can put your answers in the action plan.
KEEP YOUR NUMBERS IN EASY ACCESS
1) If you have a landline phone, store the numbers of who you will call on the phone and know how to access the numbers quickly.
2) Keep a printout of your emergency contacts on or near each house phone.
3) Store emergency contact numbers on your mobile phone and know how to access and call them. If you don't know how to use your phone, take the time to do so.
2. KNOW YOUR EMERGENCY NUMBERS
I'm sure you know your local emergency numbers, but here are several, just to be certain!
Australia = 000
New Zealand = 111
The United States & Canada = 911
The United Kingdom = 999
From Any Mobile Phone - 112 (Anywhere in the World)
3. CONSIDER OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES
As previously mentioned, using your mobile phone or a pendant alarm are ways to call for help if fallen. Another way to quickly and easily summon help and stay safe is to use Smart Watches.
Apple Watch
Smartwatches, like the popular Apple Watch, track different components of your health and fitness. The features include step tracking, heart rate & oxygen saturation monitoring, sleep monitoring and much more.
Furthermore, the Apple Watch has inbuilt fall detection.
The Apple Watch fall detection is a life-saving feature that can help you if you fall. Using sensors, it can detect when you've fallen and automatically call for help to your nominated contact numbers if it detects that you're unresponsive.
Once enabled, the Apple Watch will continuously monitor your movement data to detect if you have fallen. If a fall is detected, the apple watch will vibrate and display an alert. You can choose to dismiss the alert or call emergency services.
Apple Watch - Fall Detection Screen
If you are unable to dismiss the alert or call emergency services, the apple watch will automatically call your emergency contacts and send them your location. The apple watch will also display your medical id so emergency responders can quickly get information about your medical conditions.
You can set up your medical ID in the health app of your iPhone. For further details on how to set up your medical ID on your Apple device, click here.
Apple Medical ID
Fall detection is on the watch automatically for people over 65 years old. If you're under 65 years old and want to turn on fall detection, you can do so in the settings app on your Apple Watch.
If you have an apple watch, click here for details on setting up the Apple Watch fall detection.
Another great feature of the apple watch is the voice control, where you can speak to your watch and call someone, e.g., "Hey Siri, call my daughter!" This feature could come in handy if you fall and want to call a family member or friend quickly. Click here for a link on how to use voice command.
If you're interested in purchasing an Apple Watch, click here to view them or head to your local Apple store. But note that the "Series 3" Apple watch does NOT have fall detection capabilities.
There are other smartwatches on the market with fall detection software.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL - HOW TO GET UP SAFELY AFTER A FALL
If you are on the ground after having a fall, how you react can cause more injuries than the fall itself. You want to make sure you know how to handle this situation!
The first step: DO NOT PANIC!
Your first instinct may be to get up as quickly as possible, especially if your fall is in public.
Avoid this instinct. STOP!... Take a deep breath…. Slow down! Relax.
It may also be the instinct of people around you to help you up immediately. Do not allow this.
Take another deep breath and assess your situation by asking these questions…
AM I HURT?
IF YES…
If you feel you could be hurt, other than minor cuts, scratches or bruises, DO NOT GET UP.
If there are people close by, call them for help or use your telephone, mobile phone or pendant alarm to summon help, as discussed in the previous sections.
Getting up from the ground when you are hurt (even with assistance) can cause further injury.
Ensure those who have come to your assistance have called for trained professionals (e.g. ambulance) and do not try to get you up.
The professionals are trained to deal with situations just like this.
WAIT FOR THE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS TO ARRIVE.
Wait for the ambulance - or in a nursing home, community setting, or similar - for the doctor, nurse or physiotherapist to assess you. Once you have summoned help, keep warm and comfortable the best you can.
[Continue on to step 2b]
IF NO…
If you do NOT have any injuries, ask yourself :
2) CAN I GET UP?
IF YES… Continue to 2A
IF NO… Continue to 2B
2A) I CAN GET UP: HOW TO SAFELY GET UP FROM THE FLOOR AFTER A FALL!
STEP 1:
Lying on your back. Relax, take another deep breath in and out.
Roll onto your side and tuck your elbow under.
Push into straight arms.
1. Lying on your back
2. Roll onto your side & tuck elbow under
3. Push into straight arms
STEP 2:
1. On straight arms, push your buttocks up and come onto your hands and knees into a crawl position.
2. In this position, you can crawl to furniture close by to assist you in getting up.
Push your buttocks up into crawl position.
STEP 3:
Crawl to furniture close by.
Use your hands to pull yourself up.
Slowly begin to rise, using your strongest leg first, one leg at a time,
Then your other leg.
Crawl to furniture close by and pull up into standing.
STEP 4:
Stand up.
Slowly twist around and sit on the chair.
Relax, settle and tell a friend or family member (and your doctor) that you have fallen.
Stand up and twist around into seated position.
VIDEO: HOW TO GET UP OFF THE FLOOR WHEN YOU HAVE FALLEN
How to get up off the floor after a fall
2B) I CAN'T GET UP: WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T GET UP
In a situation where you find you are unable to get up off the floor, ask yourself the following questions:
Can I Attract Attention?
The first thing to do is see if there may be anyone close by who may be able to come to your help.
Call out to someone near to assist you.
If you have your phone or pendant alarm on you, use it to get help.
If nobody is within close proximity and you don’t have your phone or pendant alarm on you, make loud noises in whatever way you can (e.g., if you use a walking stick, bang it on an object within reach), or call out as loud as you can to get the attention of those close by.
Attract the attention of someone for help.
CAN I GET COMFORTABLE?
If your calls for help go unanswered, it’s now time to make yourself comfortable (and warm) the best you can, as you may be in this position for some time until help arrives.
Use a nearby cushion, blanket, or a rolled-up piece of clothing and place it under your head as a pillow.
Can I Keep Warm?
You also want to keep yourself warm as best as you can.
Cover yourself with anything nearby - clothing, a blanket or a rug if possible.
Use items close by to get comfortable/warm.
Can I Keep Moving?
Change positions regularly to avoid pressure on certain areas and pressure sores (your skin breaking down).
Move all your joints to prevent stiffness and help with circulation.
If your bladder is to "let go," roll away from any wet areas.
Continue to keep making noise and yelling for help from time to time as someone may hear your calls.
Wait patiently and calm until help arrives. Help will arrive eventually. You will be ok!
Keep your body moving.
HOW TO ASSIST SOMEONE WHO HAS FALLEN
Here are some general guidelines that you can use to assist someone who has fallen get back on their feet.
Note before: NEVER attempt to pick the person up. This could lead to further injury to the person who has fallen, or yourself getting injured or being pulled to the floor with the person.
Your job is only to help guide them in getting up. It’s essential you allow the fallen person to do the work. Never at any moment lift the person’s weight.
Never try to get a person up if they are injured - call emergency services.
If the person is a resident in care, tell the staff immediately.
The first step is to relax and stay calm when a friend or loved one has fallen. Do not try and get the person up straight away. You can place a pillow or something soft under their head while you assess the situation.
Determine if the person is in pain. Ask them. If they have pain, determine where it is and the severity. Examine them for visible injuries like bleeding, bruises, broken bones or sprains.
If they are injured, call emergency services. While you wait, keep them comfortable and warm.
If they don’t have any pain or injuries, get them to move their arms and legs gently. If they still don’t report any pain and think they can get up, you will now guide them gently and slowly in getting up.
If they can’t perform any of the below steps at any time, get stuck, experience pain or become too tired - stop!
Gently prompt the person to roll onto their side into a side-lying position.
Now get two chairs which will be used to help get the person into a sitting position. Place one chair near their head and one chair near their feet.
Prompt the person to push up from the side-lying position onto their hand and forearm and then into a half-sitting position.
Now prompt the person to keep pushing up until they are in a crawl position, on all fours, facing the chair. If the person gets knee pain, you can place a cushion, towel or something soft under their knees to make this step more comfortable.
Direct the person to use the chair in front of them to help them get into a kneeling position on both knees. Only gently guide their movements.
Once on both knees, ask the person to bring one leg forward so they kneel on one leg with the other foot firmly on the floor. They should be in a kneeling lunge position with the chair in front of them and their hands on the chair, using it for support.
Now prompt them to push up with their arm and legs, using the chair in front of them to assist.
Once they are up, help guide them to sit on the chair behind them.
Examine again for injuries. Falls can be a scary experience and they will usually be in a heightened state. Encourage them to relax until they are feeling calmer before they try standing up and walking around.
Check the person can safely stand and walk before they are walking on their own.
Notify the person’s doctor of the fall and keep an eye out for any pain or signs of injury which may occur later.
SHOULD I TELL MY DOCTOR AFTER A FALL?
It is natural to want to downplay a fall after it has happened. It's common to think that a fall is an embarrassing indicator of decline or that it may now signal the need to rely on others for assistance. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
When you tell your doctor, they will check for any injuries you may have missed following the fall and assess your situation for the possible causes, which will help prevent future falls.
Yes, some changes may need to be made to ensure you prevent falls as much as possible. But all changes and measures taken by your doctor and other health professionals will be directed towards maintaining and improving your situation as best as possible for your ongoing independence.
Not telling your doctor may limit your independence in the long run as you may not get the appropriate support and interventions you require.
Don't just get up and shake it off… TELL YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT.
FINAL WORDS
And there we have it.
We have now covered everything required to decrease your risk of falling to a large extent and also prepare you if you were to fall.
If any new information comes up about falls, I will continue to update these pages so your falls prevention information is always up to date.
As you have seen in this guide, the thought of falling is scary, but many things can be done to prevent them. It does not have to affect your life. Do what needs to be done, and live your life as best you can.
For life is meant to be lived!
If you have any questions about falls, join the More Life Health Facebook Community. CLICK HERE to join.
For any updates and to ensure you are doing all you can to prevent falls, sign up to the More Life Health mailing list below. When you do, you'll be sent a free 4-week eBook to help you improve your health and fitness.
AND ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO: MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS FALLS PREVENTION SECTION.
Everyone over 60 should read this guide and be knowledgeable about falls. We all know falls are a huge problem.
Please share this article and the More Life Health website if you know anyone who would benefit from reading it.
It's now time to get out there and do everything that makes you happy.
Keep Active! Keep Happy! Keep Smiling!
- Mike
SOURCES
TO VIEW ALL SOURCES USED IN THIS ARTICLE AND FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, CLICK HERE.
Hi, I’m Mike!
A Seniors' Specialist Physiotherapist and Exercise Scientist.
I have spent many years working with people over 60, in Australia and now all over the world, to help them improve their health and fitness.
If you're over 60, I have designed this website to give YOU everything you need for you to move better, get stronger, become fitter, get healthier and look and feel better!
Need more support on your health and fitness journey? Click here to join the Facebook Support Community (it's free)!