I fell tonight for the first time. I had taken a certain pride in that I had never fallen,

[No Vested Interest]

despite my many years. It was a relatively soft, rolling fall, in my den, on a carpet. I was trying to catch a small spider in my grabber to deposit it outside, so I was leaning over part-way.
I frequently use a Hurrycane, especially when walking outside or in unfamiliar spaces, as my balance is not so hot.
I am not hurt, though imagine I may have some sore muscles overnight and perhaps in the next day or two.

The real problem was getting myself up. Two artificial knees have kept me from kneeling for 15 years. My two local adult children would be asleep, plus I can't remember my daughter's cell number. I left a message on her land line, which she never answers. Calling the fire department was an option, but I really didn't want a huge fire truck coming unless the situation was dire.

After about a half hour of trying, I was able to hoist myself onto my knees, pull my upper body onto a sofa seat, straighten my legs enough to land on the sofa seat, and twist myself into a seated position, exhausted and huffing from the effort.

I consider myself very fortunate. So many, including friends and my own husband, have suffered irreparable damage from falls. This may be a warning to me to consider the future and to know that I may not be so lucky in time and place if a fall occurs again.

[pnwest]

1. Thank God you still have a good grip

on your cognitive abilities, and are not too far gone and stubborn to admit may you might need to look at dealing with an aging body. I’m going thru hell with my mother right now. Things can go sideways so quickly. Please get a call button to wear around your neck, and NEVER be hesitant to call out for help. Anyone who loves you would be sad to learn you struggled to get up for half an hour by yourself cause you didn’t want to wake them up.

[delisen]

2. So glad you were able to achieve getting up..

I am not familiar with the problems posed by having two artificial knees but it sounds like you did very well, first in calmly planning how to get up on your own and then actually doing it stop by step.

Congratulations on that.

[handmade34]

3. glad you're ok

as much as I hate the commercials on TV... a medical alert necklace is a good thing... my partner has fallen a couple of times and he is too heavy for me to pick up... I have had to call a nearby son to help... take care

[Jane Austin]

4. If you don't have an alert device, don't go anywhere in your house

without your cell phone.

I learned this the hard way when I had shingles and Tramadol made my legs like soft rubber.

I couldn't get up and I couldn't get to a phone.

I have learned since then that fire fighters are happy to come haul you up. They are quick to get there, really nice, and are young and good looking, too!

[BlueMTexpat]

7. Love your comment about

the firefighters!

In my case, it was the EMTs. They were so wonderful, young, good-looking and efficient that it was almost worth breaking my hip to have the experience!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. So glad to hear you're okay... watch yourself now and keep safe.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BlueMTexpat]

6. Take care!

I had a fall last year and broke my left hip! All I did was to miss a step! I am now 75 and can't get away with as much as when I was younger, slimmer and more agile.

Fortunately, I had excellent hip replacement surgical care and was up and walking the day after emergency surgery.

While I am now doing everything I did before, including biking, I am paying a LOT more attention to my surroundings.

This aging process is scary sometimes, but so long as one has a good support system in place, one should be fine.

And yes, please keep that cell handy, wherever you go.

[marybourg]

8. I echo the call for an alert button.

A cell phone is not an adequate substitute. For one thing, even if you did remember to pick it up that time, a fall can knock it out of your hand and out of reach.

I even have a back up to my call button, which is programing the alexa app to allow me to call my son, across the country, just by yelling, and he has the phone # of my local police.

I wish I could figure out how to get my kitty to carry a cell phone for me, since if I fell down to his level he’d be there licking my face in a flash. I don’t think he’d put up with wearing a little emergency vest, though.

[Nay]

11. I love the idea of your little kitty wearing an emergency vest!! Who's a good kitty? nt

[3Hotdogs]

9. Cell phones also have voice activated phone dialing.

In iPhone, "Hey Siri, call 911 (or whoever). Other phones most likely, the same.

If its not in your pocket, place it in a centrally located place in your home when you are not carrying it around.

Alexa is another alternative.

[left-of-center2012]

16. iPhones ...

But not my android phone.

[MFM008]

10. Hell

Ive fallen 4 times in the past 2 years.
Usually tripping.
Nothing broken.

[csziggy]

12. There are methods to get up even with artificial knees

And someday I need to learn how. I was told about this in a balance class I took last year. Unfortunately I only made it to one class since the movements they had us do showed up the instability in my L5 vertebrae and created a major impingement in the nerve to my right leg. I haven't pursued the getting up part because I only had my back fused a month ago and am not ready to tackle another class that might show up another health problem.

More than one of the class participants talked about one of the other classes at the gym and how they taught how to get up even if you have major mobility problems. It may be worth discussing this with your doctor and finding out if there is a physical therapy location that can teach that.

The last time I fell was in the hospital - I had a vasovagal syncope (extreme low blood pressure) and fainted, hitting my head and cutting my scalp. Other than a bad bleed and now a raised scar hidden by my hair, there was no lasting damage. And I learned that one symptom of low blood pressure is nausea - which was why I had not waited for an aide to help me into the bath room. I didn't want to throw up on the floor or the bed so I took myself and leaned over the sink. Next thing I knew I was under the sink and everything was really grey. My blood pressure was something like 60/47 - not conducive to staying vertical!

[No Vested Interest]

13. Thanks for info re getting up on artificial knees. I did that last night, but am paying a price.

Knees very stiff, especially the right one, which I consider the weaker of the two (replaced in 2004).
I'm very slow around the house today, didn't get much sleep last night, and don't yet feel safe to drive.
My daughter is having stents placed in her heart Wednesday (today) & I wanted to be there for her, but it's not going to happen.

I've had that extreme low blood pressure occasionally, fainted, etc. My symptom was sudden run to the bathroom to empty bowel. I don't know what causes the low blood pressure problem.

Keep on keeping on!!!

[marybourg]

14. From your description, you got up

pretty much as was taught in my spouse's Parkinson's exercise classes.

[No Vested Interest]

15. Great minds think alike...

Edited to add: Daughters stent placement went well. Huge relief. My knees much improved today. Life goes on.....

[left-of-center2012]

17. Glad you got through this OK

I've fallen a few times at home.

Had to crawl to my foot stool, and managed to push up into a sitting position.
Then somehow get into my living room chair.

I'm 72, disabled, live alone.

My doctor ordered eight sessions of PT, but the copays would have totaled $400,
so I didn't do it.

My fear is falling outside the home, or shower.

Guess I need a 'medical alert system', but have trouble choosing.
I want one that works also outside, like when taking out the trash.

Again, glad you got through this OK.

[No Vested Interest]

18. Are you currently using a walking aid - cane, walker, or other?

I believe I avoided falls up to now by preemptively using a cane, specifically a Hurrycane. I used a regular cane for a while, but found that the single tip would sometimes slip out of place with weight placed on it.

I'm 11 years older than you and also live alone.
I dislike the idea of wearing something around my neck all the time, and am still using a flip phone, so not Alexis and others at this time.
Maybe someday, I'll move up in technology, but at this time I conside it a burdem.

Take care!

[left-of-center2012]

19. I have a four wheeled seated walker

I use it out doors and in my living room/kitchen
but the doors to my bedroom and bathroom are too narrow for it to enter.

I'm looking into having Dept of Aging (?) put bars in my shower/tub (free).

[No Vested Interest]

20. Grab bars, definitely in shower/tub area. Also next to commode/toilet if possible.

Placement of toilet grab bars depends on the wall configuration of bathroom, i.e., they need enough wall space forward to the side of the toilet for them to be effective. This worked in one of my bathrooms; in the other there was not enough wall space to put one in.

Toilet grab bars are usually put in on an angle, not straight up and down or horizontal.