Part 1 · Moving and caring for the body
After a fall
Content under professional review before publication.
1First: do not lift them suddenly
The problem
The reflex to lift someone right after they fall can worsen an injury you cannot yet see, like a hip fracture or a head injury. The first thing is not to lift: it is to look.
What is happening underneath
A fall can leave an injury that is not noticeable at once. Moving the person before checking can worsen a fracture or a spinal injury. That is why you breathe, stay calm, and check before doing anything.
Step by step
- Stay calm and stay with the person. Do not lift them right away.
- Ask if anything hurts, if they can move their arms and legs, and if they hit their head.
- Check for blood, swelling, a limb in an odd position, or whether they are confused or very drowsy.
- If they hit their head, lost consciousness even for a moment, cannot move, have severe pain (especially in the hip or back), or are more confused than usual: do not move them and call emergency services. Cover them so they do not get cold and stay with them where they are.
- Special case: if they take blood thinners (anticoagulant medication) and hit their head, seek medical attention even if they feel fine. Bleeding inside the head can appear hours later.
What you must never do
- Never lift them in a rush without first checking whether they are hurt.
- Never move someone with severe pain, who cannot move a limb, or with a suspected fracture.
- Never minimize a head hit, especially if they take blood thinners.
When to ask for help
At any doubt, call emergency services: it is better to wait for help on the floor than to move the person and worsen an injury. Stay with them, speak calmly, and keep them warm.
2If they are not hurt: helping them up in stages
The problem
Even when the person is fine, lifting them by force is what most injures the caregiver's back, and it can topple both. The safe way is in stages, with them doing almost all the work.
What is happening underneath
A person on the floor cannot be hauled up without risk. But they can get up step by step, leaning on a firm chair, while the caregiver guides and steadies them, without bearing their weight.
Step by step
- If you have checked and they are uninjured and feel fine, let a few minutes pass on the floor so any dizziness fades.
- Bring a firm chair (no wheels) and, if you have one, a cushion to pad the knees.
- Have the person roll onto their side and get onto all fours (hands and knees), and crawl to the chair.
- Have them place both hands on the seat and bring the strong leg up until the foot is flat on the floor (a half-kneel).
- Have them push up with the leg and arms, turn, and sit on the chair. You guide with one hand on the transfer belt or on the hip, standing close, without lifting them yourself.
What you must never do
- Never haul them up off the floor: the strength is theirs, from the legs and arms.
- Never use a chair with wheels or one that can tip over as a support.
- Never rush them: each stage in its time.
When to ask for help
If they are very heavy, cannot get onto all fours, or are confused, do not insist: call a neighbor, a relative, or emergency services. For someone who falls often, an inflatable lift cushion that raises them off the floor without effort exists. And it helps to practice this chair method while everything is calm, especially if the person lives alone.
3Afterward: watch and prevent the next one
The problem
A fall does not end when the person gets up. Discomfort can appear hours later and, above all, you have to find out why they fell so it does not happen again.
What is happening underneath
Some injuries and symptoms (pain, dizziness, confusion) appear only later. And a fall almost always has a cause (low blood pressure, a medication, an infection, poor vision, imbalance) that, if not found, makes them fall again.
Step by step
- After helping them up, have them rest, and watch them over the following days: new pain, dizziness, more confusion, or avoiding putting weight on a leg are signs that something was missed.
- Tell the doctor, even if the fall seems minor. A visit to check why it happened is worthwhile.
- Check the home: remove loose rugs and cords, improve the lighting, put grab bars where needed (see the bathroom and stairs chapters).
- Leave a phone within reach from the floor, or better, an alert button the person can use if they fall and are alone (see the part on alert buttons).
- Staying a long time on the floor is dangerous in itself: that is why the alert button matters so much for someone who lives alone.
What you must never do
- Never treat a fall as if nothing happened without telling the doctor.
- Never leave the cause unresolved: the next fall may be worse.
- Never leave a person who falls and lives alone without a way to call for help from the floor.
When to ask for help
If after the fall pain, dizziness, vomiting, confusion appear, or they avoid moving a part of the body, consult without delay. And to understand why they fall and how to prevent it, the doctor and the physiotherapist can assess gait, blood pressure, and medication.
What about the home?
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Discover iliapp.com- This content is for educational and general guidance purposes. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or therapeutic advice, and does not replace in-person evaluation by a qualified health professional or calling emergency services.
- Every person and every situation is different. Every technique described should be reviewed and adapted by a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or the treating professional before use.
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- Use of this guide is the responsibility of the person applying it. At a head hit, severe pain, inability to move, confusion, or any warning sign, do not move the person and call emergency services immediately.
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Content based on public-health and caregiver-support guidance and on internationally recognized clinical consensus. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any organization.