Slips, trips, and stumbles are always more common in autumn and winter. What with slippery leaves and trip hazards galore, it’s a lot easier to lose your footing on a gentle stroll.
And now that the weather’s turned, we wanted to give you some helpful advice on how to get back up after a fall. Use these steps yourself or pass them on to an elderly loved one who might be more at risk of falling over.
1) Don’t panic, stay calm
If you fall over, the first thing you might try to do is get yourself straight back up again. It’s important to stay calm and just do a quick check over yourself because you could be doing more damage by moving quickly.
Try and stay calm so you can assess the situation properly and not do yourself any further harm.
2) Try and get some help
If you can feel that you’re in pain, then try and get some help. Attract someone’s attention by shouting or banging on the floor or wall if needs be.
If you live an assisted care facility or somewhere similar, there might be an orange alarm pull cord. If you can reach it, pull this to alert a carer to the fact that you have fallen.
Alternatively, you may be a personal pendant alarm or something similar that you can use to alert someone nearby. This will help to get someone’s attention who may be able to help you back up or call for assistance.
Some care facilities may have access to a falls lifting device like the Raizer. They will use this to get you back on your feet in just a few minutes.
Try and find someone who can help you back up after a fall. If there’s no one around, try and keep yourself warm.
4) If there’s no one to help you
If you aren’t hurt, you can try and get up yourself. Roll on to your hands and knees and try to shuffle or crawl to an object or chair that you can pull yourself up on and rest on.
Plant your hands on the object so you can put more of your body weight against it. Bring one knee up and place your foot place on the floor to give you some stability.
Now lean forwards and push with both your hands and your planted foot to lift the other leg off of the floor. Don’t stand up too quickly — try and rotate yourself so that you can sit and rest for a moment.
Take as much time as you need to feel comfortable again. Only stand up when you feel confident in doing so.
4) What if I can’t get up or I’m hurt?
If you can’t get back up to standing or you are hurt, then you need to stay on the floor. Cover yourself with a coat or something else to keep you warm.
To help keep your circulation flowing then you should keep tensing your arm and leg muscles; wiggle your fingers and toes. Roll from side to side if possible to keep moving and stay warm.
If you have fallen on hard ground or a hard floor, try and drag yourself to a softer area for more comfort. Keep shouting for help.
Summary
These four steps should help you or a loved one get back up after a fall. If you or someone you know are living in an extra care facility or something similar and it doesn’t have access to a falls lifting chair, then it might be worth you asking them to look at getting one.
Interested in a lifting device? Get in touch by calling 01423 799960 or filling the form out below, and we will be happy to help you!
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Graeme has worked alongside the public sector for much of his working life, helping departments improve efficiencies and deliver on projects. In his role at Vivid.Care, Graeme used his experience to tackle some of the most challenging issues in the healthcare sector, from falls through to winter pressures. He was also a guest speaker and a number of different conferences, including at the Falls Prevention Summit in London.
