Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall

As their carer, helping elderly disabled get up after a fall is something to be prepared for and knowledgeable about.

Many times elderly/ disabled people become injured or even die while they are doing simple everyday activities. Helping them get up after a fall or helping them get back on their feet, as soon and as safely as is possible can make a huge difference in their lives.

There are 4 safer and easier options available to you, as their caregiver. These include the use of lifting devices for fallen persons. You could choose to use a mobile lifting hoist, or a falls emergency lifting chair, or a lifting cushion. Each lifting device has its own set of benefits. Also, their ease of use varies according to the device chosen.

We explore each lifting device here, and give step-by-step advice on how to use each.

Falls and the Elderly/ Disabled

Elderly or disabled people, like anyone else, can trip and fall at any stage, but this risk gets higher and more likely to happen as they get older. Research has found that 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 living in the community will fall each year.

Additionally, according to the resource by Glasgow Caledonian University, one of the main causes of fatal injuries of people with learning disabilities are falls. They further state that “falls are the commonest cause of (fatal and non-fatal) injury reported for people with learning disabilities. And that people with learning
disabilities fall (with or without injury) at similar or higher rates than the elderly in the general population.”

Falls and the fear of falling are among the most common reasons for the elderly to need extra help from a carer or live in a care home. These falls can lead to injuries, fractures, a loss of confidence and independence, or depression.

What Causes the Elderly to Fall?

Falls in the elderly can be caused by long-term health conditions such as heart disease, dementia, or low blood pressure. Those lead to dizziness, balance problems or muscle weakness, and poor vision.

Problems with using the toilet – either urinary or faecal – might also cause them to rush during the night to get to the bathroom. That can cause them to trip.

Trips and falls in the elderly/ disabled can become more problematic due to osteoporosis. This bone disease occurs when the body makes too little bone or loses too much bone. Osteoporosis is most likely in elderly women due to hormonal changes that happen during menopause. Or in people who smoke, drink a lot of alcohol, take steroids, or have a family history of hip fractures.

Falls in the elderly/ disabled might also be caused by external circumstances. Those could be wet floors, dim lighting, loose rugs or carpets, ill-fitting shoes/ slippers, wearing shoes or socks that are not slip-resistant, stairs, and steps.

How To Help Elderly Get Up From Floor: Step by Step Caregiver Guide After A Senior Falls: Video

Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall

Your elderly/ disabled loved one might not be able to get up after a fall, due to injuring themselves, stiff joints, their disability, or because their bones and muscles are not as strong as they once were.

It might also be that they need some rest time before trying to get up themselves. Or that they need external help – either by someone assisting them, someone physically picking them up or by some kind of lift or hoist system.

If the person you are caring for has an accident or a fall, first check if they are in pain or have injuries, as you might need to call 999 for an ambulance to take them to the hospital.

If there are no injuries and they are not feeling dizzy, you can begin to help them get up. If you are not sure you have the strength to help them, you can call for help from other family members or an ambulance by calling 999.

Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall – 2 Chair Technique for Fallen Person

To help them up, practice the following steps:

1. Get two chairs and put one by their head and one by their feet

2. Kneel beside them, as you prepare to help them back up. This is to protect your back

3. Help them roll onto their hands and knees slowly. If they suffer from bad knees, then you can place a towel or pillow underneath for them to kneel on

4. Ask them to use the chair at their head to grab on to while they slowly lift one leg into a lunge

5. Bring the other chair closer to them so that when they bring their other leg up, they can lean back into the chair and sit down

6. You can help guide them through this with your own hands

7. Let them rest here for as long as they need

Assisting a Fallen Person from The Floor – 2 Chair Technique: Video

Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall, Using a Mobile Hoist

How to Help Elderly Person Get Up After a Fall, Using a Mobile Hoist

The method shown above may not work well for you if you, as your elderly/ disabled one’s carer, also have some mobility problems. And cannot physically guide them off the floor after a fall. For example, if you have knee or back problems that prevent you from kneeling or bending comfortably.

In that case, there are assistive fall lifting devices/ aids that can make this task easier, or just plain possible.

Three of such aids include:

• Mobile Hoists
• Falls Emergency Lifting Chairs
• Lifting Cushions

What is a Mobile Hoist?

A mobile hoist is lifting equipment that helps in the safe lifting, moving, and transferring of elderly, disabled, or injured people. They are perfect for assisting the elderly get back on their feet after a fall.

Mobile Hoist takes away the physical stresses on your joints and muscles as a carer. It provides an easier, safer alternative to lifting by using only your own strength. It removes the risk of injury to you, as the caregiver, due to manual lifting.

The critical thing to note with a mobile hoist is that it usually requires 2 people to safely use it, to help the faller off the floor. So, a mobility hoist is an excellent option if you have other people living with you and the elderly/ disabled loved one you support. People who are ready and able to man the hoist with you in emergencies, such as with a fall.

Another significant thing to note with mobile hoists is the slings. You must ensure that the sling used is not too small (to prevent discomfort) or too big (to prevent the user from falling through, causing even more injury!).

Finally, as it relates to falls and using a hoist as a rescue device/ equipment, ceiling hoists are not particularly useful because the position of the faller may not be anywhere near the ceiling hoist.

You can read more about Hoists for Transferring People on the Independent Living website.

Lifting from Floor to Bed Using a Mobile Hoist, Floor Rescue: Video

Here are the steps to guide you, if you choose to use a mobile hoist to help your elderly/ disabled loved one off the floor:

1. Get the sling for the hoist – one with head support is best. Fold it in half and place it beside them on the floor.

2. Gently roll them to one side, line the folded sling up with their hip and head. Next, move half of the sling up and tuck it under them.

3. Next, carefully roll them to their other side and unroll the sling. Then, return them to a lying position.

4. Pull the sling straps under and over their legs by gently raising each of their legs. Let the straps lie mid-thigh for best comfort. Pull the legs straps, one through the other, so it’s crossed.

5. Now, move the mobile hoist as close to your elderly/ disabled loved one’s head as possible. Once it is in position, apply the lock to stop it from moving and keep the hoist steady.

6. Connect your sling’s loops to the lift bar. Remember, the shorter loops for the back/ head and the longer loops for the legs. This will ensure a comfortable sitting position.

7. Ensure they are entirely inside the sling, with their arms crossed in front of them, out of harm’s way.

8. Support their head with one hand. Then slowly and carefully press the controls, to begin lifting them off the floor. Continue to guide and support them as they come off the ground to ensure they do not hit the mobile hoist.

9. When they are fully lifted, unlock the mobile hoist wheels and move them slowly, carefully to the bed or chair. If moving them to a chair, you might find it easier to bring the chair closer to the hoist. And if their chair is not easily movable, a kitchen or dining chair might help – until they’ve rested and can now walk back to their main chair.

10. Carefully position them over the chair/ bed. Then lock the wheels again to keep the mobile hoist steady.

11. Slowly, carefully lower them onto the chair/ bed, using the controls. Gently guide their positioning as they come down, until they are firmly sat and their legs firmly on the floor. If you’re helping them to bed, try to position their bottoms closer to the bed head before lowering them. It’s easier to slide down the bed than up it.

12. Finally, unhook the sling loops from the mobile hoist. Then move the hoist out of the way.

13. If they’re lying in bed, gently roll them to their side to remove the sling. Roll one half of the sling up and tuck it under them. Then carefully roll them onto their other side. Gently pull the sling away and return them to a lying position.

14. If they’re sitting in a chair, then let them gently lift one leg up, so you can pull the sling outward. Next, their other leg. Then let them gently lean forward, so you can pull the sling upward and away from them.

Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall, Using a Falls Emergency Lifting Chair

A falls emergency lifting chair such as the Raizer Emergency Lifting Chair is a more hands-off approach to helping your elderly/ disabled loved one off the floor. When they have fallen, and cannot get up independently. It is ideal for transferring them to a sitting or standing position.

If you choose to use an emergency lifting chair to help your elderly/ disabled loved one off the floor, then here are the steps to guide you:

1. Let them lift their leg, with feet firmly planted on the floor

2. You place the chair’s central unit underneath their legs, and put the belt on as instructed in the user’s manual

3. Then, insert and click the chair parts in place, as directed by the manufacturer

4. Listen for the beep and look out for the flashing light that shows you that the chair is correctly assembled

5. Let them cross their arm over their chest, out of the way and ready for lifting

6. Finally, support their head with your hand or a pillow. Then, with the remote control, start lifting them off the floor. Lift them up as slowly as needed, to give your loved one time to adjust to being up

7. At the maximum sitting/ standing height, the emergency lifting chair will give a beep. It is now safe to help them to a chair or bed to recover

Falls Emergency Lifting Chair – The Raizer Lifting Chair: Video

Helping Elderly/ Disabled Get Up After A Fall, Using a Lifting Cushion

What is an Emergency Lifting Cushion for Falls?

An emergency lifting cushion is an inflatable cushion, operated by low air pressure, to help an uninjured person get safely back to their feet after a fall.

It can be operated by just one person – simply and safely – minimising moving, handling and transfer risks to you as the carer.

Here are the steps to guide you in lifting your elderly one off the floor, using an Emergency Lifting Cushion. Some designs have a backrest, while some do not. Of course, those with a backrest offer more stability for the faller and you, their carer:

1. First, unfold the lifting cushion beside them. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to operate the emergency cushion.

2. Connect the hand control to the compressor. And the tubes on the compressor to the lifting cushion – according to the user’s manual. Then turn the compressor on.

3. Next, help them into a sitting or lying position on top of the lifting cushion. Some cushions require that the faller is in a sitting position for lifting. While with some models – especially those with backrests, it’s a lying position.

4. Support your loved one with one hand – you may find it easier to do so, standing behind them. Use your other hand to hold the control.

5. Then, according to the user’s manual, press and hold the control to inflate the cushion – one section at a time – until they are comfortably raised and seated.

6. And finally, support them to stand, and move on to a chair or bed to recover.

Emergency lifting cushions can be used on any surface, but do look out for sharp objects such as pins, broken glass or sharp stones puncturing the cushions.

When used outdoors/ garden, where there’s a higher risk of sharp objects lying around, you might want to put a small sheet or mat underneath the lifting cushion.

Also, each section of the cushion is fitted with its own hose. And each compartment/ section is separate from the other compartments. As a result, there is no risk of injury to your loved one from a puncture/ rapid deflation in any one of the sections.

Once the lift is complete, the emergency lifting cushion can be deflated, folded up and stored away tidily.

Emergency Lifting Cushion – How To Use The Mangar Camel Lifting Chair: Video

After any fall, it is crucial they get checked over by the doctor to ensure there are no hidden injuries, leading to internal bleeding. They have 72 hours after the fall to see a doctor, but the sooner, the better.

Their doctor will help with any pain and make sure that any breaks or tears do not worsen. Don’t keep your elderly loved one’s fall a secret. You might feel overwhelmed and feel like you don’t want people to know and judge you, like the fall was your fault/ carelessness. Or you might feel you’re too tired to make the trip to the hospital, if needed.

There is nothing wrong with falling over. It’s painful, but it happens. Next are 8 easy ways to prevent them from happening in the future.

Preventing a Fall. Tips to Fall-Proof Your Home

There are several ways that you can prevent falls throughout your home – or your elderly/ disabled loved one’s home – if that is where you care for them. These include:

1. Use non-slip mats in the bathroom/ wet areas

2. Clean up any spills or wet floors

3. Keep your/ their home well lit. Have little lights around the house during the night to guide your way to the bathroom/ bedroom

4. Keep all passageways clear of obstacles such as chairs

5. Ensure they have regular eye tests to make sure their vision is not becoming a problem

6. Monitor their blood pressure to prevent dizziness

7. Encourage your elderly loved one to keep fit and active – to maintain balance, muscle and bone strength – by doing yoga, walking, or slow dancing

8. Proper nutrition and hydration. That is where it all begins and ends. As you well know, food is medicine. When your elderly eats and drinks well, their body has all it needs to heal and function optimally.

Expert Tips For Preventing Falls in your Home: Video

You can do many things to prevent injuries and falls in your elderly/ disabled loved one. However, once a fall has occurred, it is crucial that they get off the floor as safely and as quickly as possible.

To do that, you will need to check for any visible – and sometimes invisible – signs of injury. That will help you decide on the next course of action. Whether to help them up safely, or call for assistance or emergency services – 111 or 999.

Conclusion

So here we are. Helping someone living with a disability or the elderly get up after a fall, most safely and quickly, is crucial to their health and wellbeing.

Falls can cause several problems for the elderly/ disabled, including hospitalisation and even death. As you now know, it’s essential to take care of them so that they don’t end up becoming a statistic.