What to do if you have a fall

The first things you should do are:

• rest for a few minutes
• take some deep breaths
• give yourself a chance to recover from the shock of falling.

Then you can plan what to do next.

• Roll onto your hands and knees.
• Crawl to a stable piece of furniture. This might be a bed or sofa.
• Hold onto the furniture with both hands. Place one foot flat on the floor in front of you. Push down on your front foot.
• Rise into a standing position.
• Turn around slowly and sit down to rest.
• It is a good idea to let your doctor know if you have had a fall.

Call for help. You could:

• Use your pendant alarm or wrist alarm or mobile phone, if you have one
• Use your warden pull cord if you have one and can reach it easily and safely
• Shout for help or bang on a wall or the floor

• If you are on a hard floor, try to put something soft under you such as a towel, clothing, a blanket or a mat.
• Try to make yourself warm and comfortable. Try to cover yourself, make sure your legs and feet are covered too.
• If you can, try to change your position regularly if you are not hurt.
• It is important to have a plan to get help if you fall and cannot get up.
• This is because being on the floor for a long time could cause other health problems.
• Make a plan with your healthcare professional and family.

Telecare offer an emergency alarm system which means people can call for assistance in the event of a fall.

• Phone: 0113 378 3290
• Leeds Council website

If you wanted more information about preventing falls or to tell us what you think of our service. You can:

• talk to a member of staff
• contact the service involved in your care
• reach out if you require this information in other languages, Braille, large print, or audio format please speak to a member of staff providing your care.