What's the best way to catch my 91-year-old mother when she falls?

A fellow caregiver asked...

My 91-year-old mother occasionally falls for no apparent reason. Her doctor says it may be because she has hydrocephalus, water on the brain, and we agree that treatment would be too taxing for her. She has a walker, but sometimes she just falls anyway. If I'm near her when this happens, is there a right or wrong way to catch her?

Expert Answer

Helen Lhim is director of Rehabilitative Services for the Institute on Aging, Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center, San Francisco.

Once the momentum of a fall starts, it's difficult to stop it. You're at risk of injuring her as well as yourself if you try to stop the fall. It's better to try to slow down the fall to prevent her from injuring herself and you.

To slow down a fall, position her so that she leans against you, easing her down to the floor with as minimal an impact as possible, especially protecting her head. For example, if you're walking with her and are on her right side and a little bit behind her, put your left hand around her left shoulder and your right hand around her right hip, and if her knees give out, hold her close to you, have her lean against you, and ease her down to the floor. If she starts leaning forward or to the side, you can, again, hold her close to you and guide her down to the floor. Using a gait belt while walking with her is also a good way to move her closer to you if she starts to fall.

If your mother is falling a lot, then try to think in terms of fall prevention. You can keep a record showing the time of day a fall happened, where it occurred, what you suspect may have caused the fall, what was going on prior to the fall, and what injuries occurred, if any. Identifying fall risk factors can minimize both their occurrence and possible injury.

Examples of the kinds of information to consider in a fall record include the following: Did her knees give way? Did she have any physical complaints before it happened? Does she start to lose her balance after a certain amount of time spent standing or walking? Might she need a change in medication? Is there a pattern in the way she's falling? Is there anything in the environment she traverses that needs changing?

If your mother does fall and she complains of pain or you suspect she has injured herself, she should get immediate medical attention. Report all falls to her primary physician. You can also ask for a home healthcare physical therapist to evaluate her for home safety and gait training and to train you in fall prevention.