My elderly mum or dad has fallen. What do I do now, and afterwards?

Last updated: 1 October 2026. Sources are linked throughout. Where the HSE is silent, we use the NHS and say so.

In this guide

• The first few minutes
• If they can't get up
• Helping them up safely
• What to tell the GP
• Getting a falls risk review
• The home check
• After a knock to the head
• If they live alone
• What else families ask
• Sources

What should I do in the first few minutes?

1. Stay calm and don't rush to get them up. The HSE's advice is to lie still for a minute, stay calm and check for injuries.⁴
2. Check for injury. Ask where it hurts. If moving brings on pain in the hips or back, the HSE says to get help rather than get up.⁴
3. Ring 112 or 999 for a serious injury. The HSE says to ring if a life is at risk.² The NHS adds a possible head, back, neck or hip injury, or not being able to get up.⁸
4. If they are hurt or cannot get up, keep them warm and comfortable. Cover them with a blanket or coat, and don't try to lift them.^4,5,8
5. If they are not hurt and feel able, let them get up in stages, using a sturdy chair.⁴
6. Once up, let them sit and rest, then tell the GP about the fall.⁵

When you ring, give the address (the Eircode helps) and what happened, and gather their medicines and GP's details for the paramedics.²

What if they can't get up, and why does a long lie matter?

If your parent rings you from the floor and cannot get up, ring 112 or 999.^4,8 While they wait, the HSE says to keep warm under whatever is in reach, put a cushion under the head, and keep moving the arms and legs as far as pain allows.⁴ The NHS adds: change position about every 30 minutes to help prevent pressure sores.⁸

The HSE does not list the effects of a long lie, so this comes from the NHS. NHS Lanarkshire defines a long lie as more than an hour on the floor, unable to get up, with complications including hypothermia, dehydration, pressure sores, pneumonia and muscle breakdown that can damage the kidneys. Long lies are more common in older people at home alone.⁹

How do I help them up safely?

Only if they are unhurt and feel able. Talk them through the HSE's steps, resting between each:^4,5

1. Roll on to their side, then push up on to their elbows.
2. Use their arms to push up on to their hands and knees.
3. Crawl to a very stable piece of furniture, such as a sturdy chair or the bed, and hold on to it.
4. Slide or raise the foot of their stronger leg forward, so it is flat on the floor.
5. Lean forward and push up with their arms and front leg, rising slowly to standing.
6. Turn around, sit down, and rest for a minute or two.

If they can't get on to all fours, the HSE suggests bottom-shuffling to the bottom stair and pushing up on to it.⁴

The HSE doesn't cover the helper. The NHS says to help carefully, but not to try to lift them yourself.⁸ If hip or back pain starts partway, stop, keep them warm and get help.⁴

What should we tell the GP, even if they weren't hurt?

Tell the GP about every fall. The HSE recommends reporting all falls, because signs of injury are not always obvious at first.⁵ A previous fall is among the biggest risk factors for another, and the HSE recommends a review after one.⁴

Tell the doctor if your parent hit their head, has pain, lost consciousness, takes a blood thinner, or is not feeling themselves.⁵ HSE falls screening sends a fall after a blackout or dizziness, or one nobody can explain, to the GP urgently. Go in with answers to its questions:⁴

• How many falls in the past week, month and year?
• Could they get up, and could they get help?
• Did they black out, or not remember falling?
• Do they feel unsteady, and are they less able than before?

Bring a list of every medicine, as some cause dizziness.⁵ The HSE says prescriptions should be reviewed every 12 months, or every six months over 75 or on four or more medicines.⁴ If the fall ends in hospital, see leaving hospital after a fall.

How do we get a falls risk review, and what HSE falls services are there?

Start with the GP, as what exists depends on the area. Three examples:

• Community falls screening. In the Mid West, HSE staff screen anyone who has fallen or seems unsteady, referring on to the GP, a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist.⁴
• Specialist teams for older people. In the Mid West, the HSE's Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) assesses over-75s with falls, frailty or mobility problems. Most referrals come from GPs.⁶
• Hospital falls units. The Falls and Syncope Unit at St James's Hospital, Dublin, investigates falls, faints and blackouts. The GP refers through Healthlink.⁷

What should we check at home after a fall?

Look at where it happened and why, then go round the house with the HSE's checklist:^4,5

• Floors: remove or secure rugs and trailing flexes, and clear the stairs, hall and landing.
• Lighting: a bedside light or torch in reach, and a landing light or motion-sensor light for night-time toilet trips.
• Bathroom: a non-slip mat in the bath or shower, and grab rails if needed.
• Stairs and outside: secure handrails, and paths clear of moss and leaves.

An occupational therapist can review the home if your parent is at risk,⁴ and local authority grants can help with changes such as a level-access shower.⁵ Our guide to preventing falls at home goes room by room.

What signs should we watch for after a knock to the head?

Most head injuries are not serious, but concussion symptoms can take up to three weeks to appear, so keep watching.¹

Ring 112 or 999 if, after hitting their head, they:¹

• were knocked out and have not woken, or cannot stay awake
• have a fit, or problems with their vision
• have clear fluid from the ears or nose, or bleeding from the ears
• have numbness or weakness in part of the body
• have problems walking, or with balance, understanding, speaking or writing.

Go to the emergency department if they:¹

• were knocked out but woke up, or have been vomiting since
• have a headache that painkillers don't shift
• are more irritable than usual, or have problems with memory or thinking
• take a blood thinner such as warfarin, or have a blood-clotting disorder.

After a minor head injury, an adult should stay with them for the first 24 hours, so plan who if they live alone.¹ Injury units see minor head injuries only if the person stayed conscious and did not vomit, and do not treat hip fractures.³

What if they live alone and you're not there?

Decide who gets there first. A neighbour with a key, or a key safe by the door, lets help in. The HSE suggests putting nearby neighbours on speed dial.⁴

A phone they can reach from the floor. The HSE suggests a mobile in a pocket, and cushions and blankets kept at floor level.⁴

The Seniors Alert Scheme. The State funds a personal alarm, through a local community group, for people 65 or over who meet its conditions, such as living alone.¹⁰ Installation and the first year of monitoring are free.⁵ If your parent qualifies, take it. Our Seniors Alert Scheme guide covers how to apply.

Fall detection. A pendant only helps if it is worn and pressed. SmartGuardian, which we install, uses room sensors to detect a fall automatically and alert the family's phones, with nothing to wear. It does not ring 112 or 999 and is not a medical device, so someone still has to act on the alert. No fall detection catches every fall.

What else do families ask?

Should I lift my mum or dad up after a fall?

No. Let them lie still and check for injury. If they are unhurt and feel able, they can get up slowly in stages using a sturdy chair, with you helping but not lifting. If hurt or unable to get up, keep them warm and ring 112 or 999.

When should I ring 112 or 999 after an older person falls?

Ring if they are seriously injured, may have hurt their head, neck, back or hip, or cannot get up. After a head knock, ring if they were knocked out, cannot stay awake, have a fit, or have trouble with vision, speech or balance.

Should I tell the GP about a fall if they weren't hurt?

Yes. The HSE recommends reporting all falls, because signs of injury are not always obvious at first and one fall raises the risk of another. Ask for a falls risk review and a medicines review.

My dad hit his head when he fell but seems fine. What should we watch for?

Concussion symptoms can take up to three weeks to appear. Go to the emergency department if he vomits, has a headache painkillers do not help, becomes more irritable, has memory or thinking problems, or takes a blood thinner such as warfarin.

What is a long lie after a fall?

A long lie is more than an hour on the floor after a fall, unable to get up. NHS guidance lists complications including hypothermia, dehydration, pressure sores and muscle breakdown that can damage the kidneys.

What can we do if mum lives alone and we live too far away?

Arrange a neighbour who can get there, a key safe so they can get in, and a phone she can reach from the floor. If she qualifies, apply for the Seniors Alert Scheme. If she won't wear a pendant, consider automatic fall detection.

Sources

All checked on 1 October 2026. NHS pages are used only where the HSE's are silent: ringing 999 for a suspected neck or hip injury, helping someone else up, changing position on the floor, and the effects of a long lie.

1. HSE. Head injury and concussion. Page last reviewed 20 September 2024.
2. HSE. Emergency care, adults: when to call 112 or 999.
3. HSE. When to visit an injury unit.
4. HSE Mid West Community Healthcare. Falls care pathway, 2021, including its falls screening and the “Stay Strong Stay Steady” booklet for service users.
5. HSE Community Healthcare East. Take Control: Reduce Your Risk of Falls. Archived copy of 30 August 2024; the leaflet is no longer at its original hse.ie address.
6. HSE. ICPOP enhancing quality of life for older people across the Mid West, 27 January 2026.
7. St James's Hospital, Dublin. Falls and Syncope Unit.
8. NHS. Falls. Page last reviewed 6 March 2025.
9. NHS Lanarkshire. Guidelines for the care of residents within a care home setting who are at risk of long lie, 2025.
10. Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. Emergency Personal Alarm (Seniors Alert Scheme), updated 10 December 2024.

This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency call 112 or 999. For advice about your parent, talk to their GP. SmartGuardian is a home-safety and fall-detection system, not a medical device, and it does not contact the emergency services.