Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
Regardless of the situation, the important thing is not to panic and to remain calm.
- If you are the one who fell:
First of all, see whether you suffer from any of the possible consequences: wound, pain, lameness of a limb, etc. Only stand up if it feels perfectly safe to do so: do not risk falling again if the cause of the fall remains (slippery ground, light-headedness caused by hypotension, etc.).
Send a distress signal: Call for help, use your remote alarm, etc. If you are able to, crawl towards the telephone or the door to the corridor in order to be heard better.
- Do you know how to stand up from the ground?
A 'miracle solution' does not really exist to stand up from the ground. Everyone finds their own personal way to stand up in accordance with their suppleness, muscle power, possible articular pains, etc.
The following method is most frequently used:
- Lying on your back, roll over on your side (bringing the opposite arm) in order to turn over
- Once you are lying on your stomach, shift your weight to one side and fold the opposite leg, bringing it towards your stomach
- Lift yourself from the ground, raise your head and chest and support your weight on your two elbows/forearms and on your knee (from the folded leg)
- Position yourself on all fours and get close to a chair. It is highly important that you always find a point of support, and that it be as stable as possible
- Support yourself on the chair to stand up; fold one knee after the other to slowly get to your feet
- Sit on the chair
- If you witness a fall:
Assess the seriousness of the situation: state of consciousness, person's breathing, answers to your questions, pain, oddly positioned limb, heavy bleeding, etc.
>> If it appears to you that the person does not present any sign of a serious injury and is ready to stand back up, you may slowly help her do it while placing a chair nearby, enabling her to support herself and quickly sit down in order to avoid a possible new fall
>> If the person's state presents the least element of concern, call an ambulance. Remain close to the person, putting her in the most comfortable position possible, while avoiding to unnecessarily move her.
- Medical advice is necessary:
Whether you be the witness of victim of a fall, never underestimate its seriousness. Even though it looks benign, it might be the sign of potentially serious illness.
In the case of a superficial wound, simply applying pressure make it possible to stop the bleeding, but some cuts require suture stitches. Do not hesitate to go to the nearest emergency room if you have a doubt. If the pain continues, if nausea or vomiting appears, do not hesitate to immediately seek medical advice. A consultation is systematically needed in the event of cranial trauma (even when the person has not lost consciousness) and when the person has remained immobile on the ground for over an hour.
- Medical consultation
A person who experiences falls needs to be followed by a specialist. Even when a fall is benign, it must not be trivialised; it is therefore advisable that it be evaluated by a doctor. This evaluation will enable the doctor to assess the risk factors and attributed causes in the best possible way in order to make a diagnosis and suggest the appropriate treatment. If need be, they can prescribe adapted care, taking into account the patient's life habits, to improve their balance and reduce fall risks. Should it be necessary, the person can follow, in line with the advice expressed by their doctor or physiotherapist, a specific or group training programme.
- Evaluation by a physiotherapist:
Following the doctor's instructions, the physiotherapist makes you work on:
- the mobility of the joints in the upper and lower limbs;
- the assessment of your muscular strength and the sensitivity of limbs (sensitivo-motor test);- your balance and motor coordination;
- the analysis of your way of walking: length and height of steps, walking speed, endurance, going up and down the stairs, walking outside and on a broken ground, etc.
- Psychological support:
A fall, regardless of its consequences, is an important trauma. It is normal to be shaken up by such an event, with the numerous psychological impacts it involves. A fall often sends back the negative image of a failure, and of autonomy loss. It can be felt like the 'beginning of the end': the first step of a loss of faculties, going from institutionalisation to death. This idea of death can be reinforced if the person spent a long time lying on the ground, powerless and worried. If you or your family member cannot seem to make these thoughts go away, do not hesitate to see your doctor or a psychologist who will be able to help you.The best way of avoiding the trauma of a fall is to talk about it or to help the victim do so. You must express your fears for them to become part of your life history and memories, and to be able to go on without remaining paralysed by the psychological shock of the fall.
Having a fall is a risk factor for falling again. In the months that follow a fall, it is therefore advisable to prevent any new fall by remembering that falls are caused by the interaction of numerous factors combined. Interventions aiming to reduce these falls must therefore be adapted to each risk factor encountered, using the various means presented in the previous chapter.
