What to Do After a Fall: Dementia Care in Philadelphia

If a loved one with dementia just fell, stay with them, decide whether to call 911, and then put extra in-home help in place so they are not walking unassisted. This page is a crisis-response guide for Philadelphia families. It is not a medical diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a substitute for emergency services.

For a wider view of local options after the immediate crisis, see our Philadelphia dementia care guide.

What should you do in the first minutes after a fall?

Stay with the person, keep the room calm, and do not pull them to their feet until you know they can move without severe pain.

Kneel at eye level and use short, simple sentences. A person living with dementia may not remember the fall, may not describe pain clearly, or may try to stand before it is safe. Look for heavy bleeding, a limb that looks out of place, and hazards such as a wet floor, a loose rug, or a walker left out of reach.

If they are unconscious, having trouble breathing, or you suspect a head, neck, hip, or back injury, do not move them. Call 911 and wait beside them until help arrives.

When should you call 911 after a fall?

Call 911 if the person cannot get up, hit their head, lost consciousness, is vomiting, has a seizure, is bleeding heavily, or seems much more confused, drowsy, or weak than usual.

Also seek emergency care if one side of the body is weaker, speech is slurred, or they cannot put weight on a leg. People with dementia often cannot report symptoms the way other adults can, so a sudden change from their usual alertness is a reason to get them checked rather than wait it out at home.

If you are unsure, have emergency responders evaluate them. Tell the crew that the person has dementia, which medicines they take if you know, and what their usual level of awareness looks like.

What if the fall does not look like an emergency?

If the person is alert, can move their arms and legs, and there is no sign of a serious injury, help them rest on the floor, then sit up slowly before they try to stand with support.

Once they are in a chair or bed, stay with them. Watch for delayed problems such as a growing bruise on the head, new vomiting, increasing confusion, or a refusal to use an arm or leg. Do not leave them alone to sleep it off, especially overnight.

Write down the time of the fall, what they were doing, whether they hit their head, and any change in walking or speech. That note helps family members who were not in the room and helps a clinician or emergency team later.

Why is a fall at home especially serious in Philadelphia?

A fall is especially serious in Philadelphia because the city has a large older population, and many seniors live alone, so no one may be nearby to notice a second fall or a delayed injury.

U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates show 227,129 Philadelphia residents age 65 and older, including 25,511 age 85 and older, and 80,889 seniors living alone. The same U.S. Census Bureau ACS data profiles report a median household income of $60,698 in the city.

The CDC describes dementia as a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities, and identifies Alzheimer's disease as the most common type of dementia. CDC overview of Alzheimer's and dementia

Those same difficulties can make a fall harder to manage. The person may not remember to stay seated, may not call for help, or may try to walk to the bathroom alone while they are sore or startled.

How do you arrange in-home support after a fall?

After the immediate medical question is settled, arrange extra in-home help so your loved one is not walking unassisted while they are sore, frightened, or more confused than usual.

Call a home care provider, explain that there was a fall, and describe what the person now needs: someone in the home, help getting to the bathroom, and a plan for overnight hours if they live alone. Families in Philadelphia often start with closer daytime supervision and then add evenings or overnight coverage if the person still tries to walk without help.

Companion care can keep a calm presence in the home so the person is not left alone with a walker just out of reach. Personal care can help with bathing, dressing, toileting, and steadying them on their feet when they are stiff or bruised.

What types of in-home care help after a fall or hospital visit?

The most useful mix after a fall is usually closer supervision plus help with walking, bathing, dressing, and meals, with overnight coverage if the person cannot safely be alone.

If confusion, wandering, or forgotten safety steps are part of the picture, memory care at home focuses on familiar routines and fall-risk habits such as standing up too fast. If the person cannot be left overnight, or if family cannot stay around the clock, 24-hour live-in care keeps a caregiver in the home through the night, when many bathroom trips and second falls happen.

If they were evaluated in an emergency department or admitted, hospital discharge care can bridge the first days back home, when new weakness, new equipment, and a change in routine all raise the chance of another fall. Family caregivers who have been on high alert since the fall may also need a short break; respite care can cover a few hours or a weekend so someone rested is in the home.

How many hours you need depends on mobility, nighttime restlessness, and whether anyone else lives in the house. A person who lives alone, or who already needed help with daily tasks, often needs more coverage in the first days after a fall than a person who has a spouse at home around the clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I pick my loved one up off the floor after a fall?
If you think they hit their head, hurt a hip, neck, or back, cannot move, or are not fully awake, do not lift them. Call 911 and stay with them. If they are alert, talking, and can move their limbs, you can help them rest, then sit up slowly and stand only with support.

When is a fall in someone with dementia an emergency?
Treat it as an emergency if they cannot get up, lost consciousness, hit their head, are bleeding heavily, are vomiting, or are much more confused, weak, or drowsy than usual. When you are unsure, call 911 and tell responders that the person has dementia.

What if my parent with dementia lives alone in Philadelphia?
Do not leave them alone right after a fall, even if they insist they are fine. Philadelphia has 80,889 seniors living alone, so many households have no second adult on site. Plan for someone to stay, then arrange companion hours or overnight help before the next evening.

Can we stay at home after a fall, or do we need a facility?
Many people with dementia remain at home after a fall if the home is safer and someone is present to help with walking, bathing, and nighttime bathroom trips. The decision depends on injuries, how unsteady they are, and whether family or paid caregivers can cover the hours they cannot be alone. An emergency team or clinician should evaluate serious injuries; this page cannot make that call.

What in-home care should we set up after a fall?
Start with the gaps that caused the crisis: unsupervised walking, bathroom help, meals, and overnight hours. Companion care covers presence and cueing. Personal care covers bathing, dressing, and toileting. Memory care at home is useful when dementia-related confusion is driving unsafe standing. Add 24-hour live-in care if nights are unsafe.

They just came home from the hospital after a fall. What now?
The first days home are a high-risk window because of new weakness, new instructions, and a change in routine. Hospital discharge care can help with getting in the door, the first meals, bathroom trips, and following the discharge paperwork you were given. Keep the written fall notes and the hospital papers together for the next medical visit.

How do we lower the chance of another fall tonight?
Leave a clear path to the bathroom, keep the walker or cane within reach, use night lights, and have a person stay in the home. Do not rely on the person with dementia to remember a new safety rule after a frightening day. Extra overnight coverage is often the most practical short-term step while you sort out longer-term help.