Falls are a common occurrence among older people. The main issue is that a family member or caregiver fails to act as they should or get nervous when an older person falls. In many instances, the caregiver panics and further injures the patient or himself, thus worsening the effects of a fall on the elderly.

To avoid such incidences, there should be basic guidelines to follow to guide a caregiver or family member on how to get an older adult off the ground. The caregiver should also be educated on why do elderly fall out of bed to enable them to avoid risky situations leading to falls.

Tips to lift an older adult who has fallen to the ground

The first thing to do is to remain calm and reassure the older person. Help them relax by speaking lovingly and slowly to them. Try and get them to breathe deeply but slowly, to further get them to relax.

After that, examine the patient and confirm if they have suffered a sprain, bruise, injury, or broken bones.

Ask the patient if any part of their body hurts and point the area experiencing the pain. Do not move the patient if they have suffered a severe injury like breaking a bone. Instead, call for emergency health services and stay with the patient while reassuring him until the emergency services arrive.

If there are no injuries, help the patient slowly get up and safely. If you run out of strength in the middle of lifting the patient, pause momentarily until you feel strong again to continue.

To ease the lifting process, you can use two strong chairs. Place one chair next to the older person’s head and the other one at his feet. This technique can only be successful if the older adult has some moving ability. Your duty is to guide him and ensure his safety, not bear his weight. If the person is totally immobile, leave him on the ground and call emergency. To continue using the chairs, help the older adult get on his knees while using his hands for support. You can place a towel beneath his knees for more comfort. Place the chair in front of them and help them firmly place their hands on the chair in a kneeling position. Take the other chair and put it behind the patient. Ask the patient to use his legs and arms to get up slowly and sit on the chair behind him. To ensure elderly fall prevention, you can keep them stable using your hands, but remember to keep your back straight. Also, ensure that the individual is trying to get up by moving their body. Once they are comfortably seated in the chair, keep them there until they are calm and can get up without help, without risking another fall.

After the fall, it is essential to hydrate the individual and ensure that they are warm. You should also consult a doctor immediately to make a complete diagnosis of the older person and evaluate the reason for the fall. If you are wondering what causes elderly to fall, one reason is medication side effects. For this reason, the doctor will evaluate any medication that the older person is taking and change them or adjust the dose to prevent another fall risk in elderly person.

When to call for emergency help

If you cannot move or lift an older adult, you should ask other people to help you facilitate the movement. If the older adult is unconscious or is entirely immobile, call the emergency room immediately. If, after suffering the fall, the older adult is presenting with a bruise, injury or bleeding, you should contact emergency health services as they could also be bleeding on the brain after a fall elderly; hence the need for health care.

Here at Cuidum, it is our hope that the tips on lifting an older person from the ground have been helpful to you. Besides, suppose you are a carer for a bedridden elderly or person with reduced mobility. In that case, it’s essential to learn techniques to transfer and move the patient to ensure fall prevention for elderly. It is better to prevent a fall as elderly fall recovery is not easy because of many factors such as age and other pre-existing health conditions among the elderly.

Consult with your healthcare professional or doctor about the most suitable mobility technique choices for individual cases. The doctor should also be in a position to educate you on some of the fall risks present in the home and how to avoid them. Knowing this will help you avoid risks and ensure the quality of life for the older adult or family member you care for.