What to Do After Someone with Dementia Falls

A fall can be frightening for the person and anyone nearby. Stay calm and focus on immediate safety. Do not assume the person is uninjured because they cannot explain what happened or say where it hurts.

What should I do right after a fall?

Check whether the person is awake, seems hurt or unwell, and can respond as usual. Do not rush them upright or try to lift them yourself. The NHS says emergency help is needed if someone may have injured their head, back, neck or hip, has another serious injury, or cannot get up.

• Call local emergency services if one of those serious signs may be present. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
• Keep the person comfortable and warm while waiting for help. Do not move them if you suspect a serious injury or are unsure whether it is safe.
• Stay with them if you can. Use short, calm words. Do not quiz them about what happened or insist that they stand.
• If the person is in pain, injured or unwell but there is no immediate danger, contact local urgent medical advice or their health professional for guidance.

Do not try to carry or lift the person alone. If there is a care plan for falls, follow it only when it fits what is happening now; get emergency help if the person may be seriously injured.

What if the person seems able to get up?

Do not rush the person. Ask how they feel and whether they want help. If they seem unhurt and can get up using their usual support without being lifted, give them time and stay close. Stop if they feel pain, become dizzy or cannot manage. If you are uncertain, ask a health professional rather than attempting a transfer you have not been shown how to do.

The NHS advises taking time and resting after getting up. Its self-help instructions are for a person who feels able to get up; they are not a reason to pull or carry someone who has fallen. A person’s mobility, balance and health needs differ.

Should I contact a doctor even if I cannot see an injury?

Yes. The Alzheimer’s Society recommends speaking with the person’s GP after a fall, even when you do not think they are hurt. If you noticed a head impact, pain, new confusion, weakness, dizziness or a change from the person’s usual behavior, report that when you call. Do not use a website checklist to decide that a medical assessment is unnecessary.

If there was a head injury, follow advice from a clinician or local urgent-care service. The NHS head-injury guidance describes symptoms that need urgent attention. If the person becomes suddenly confused, very drowsy, vomits or seems acutely unwell, seek urgent help rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

What information may help the health professional?

After urgent needs are addressed, write down a few observations to share with the person’s agreement:

• when and where the fall happened, if known;
• what the person was doing just before it;
• whether the fall was witnessed and whether the person may have hit their head;
• what pain, injury or change you noticed;
• any recent changes to health, mobility, routine or medicine that you know about.

Describe what you saw rather than guessing why the person fell. A note can support a conversation; it does not diagnose the cause. If a serious injury or sudden change is possible, get help first instead of completing a record.

What should I ask about at follow-up?

A clinician can help decide whether the person needs an assessment and what to watch for afterward. The NHS notes that a falls assessment may review strength, eyesight, hearing, medicines and home adaptations. You can ask:

• Does the person need an examination after this fall, even if no injury is obvious?
• Which changes or symptoms should prompt urgent help?
• Should balance, vision, hearing, pain or medicines be reviewed?
• Would a falls service or occupational therapist help assess mobility or home equipment?
• Who should the person or family contact if another fall happens?

Tell the clinician what you know and what you do not know. If the fall was unwitnessed, say so instead of guessing how it happened. Do not stop or change medicine, buy a walking aid or install equipment based only on a website. The right support depends on the person’s health, mobility, home and wishes.

How can we think about another fall?

Once immediate medical concerns are addressed, consider what was happening in the setting and routine. A cluttered path, a change in lighting or an unfamiliar route may be relevant, but do not assume that one hazard caused the fall. Ask the person what they noticed and what would make the space feel easier to use. If the person cannot remember or explain the fall, share what you observed without pressing them for details. Note the time, location, footwear, lighting, activity and any change from their usual movement or behavior. A brief record may help the clinician look for patterns; it does not identify the cause.

Our home-safety guide covers room-by-room checks. If the fall happened during bathing, see our bathing guide. A doctor, occupational therapist or local falls service can assess individual concerns and recommend suitable changes. Do not install equipment or change a prescribed medicine based only on this page.

A fall does not by itself show what the person can or cannot do. Keep them involved in decisions about support, and follow the advice of their local care team.