An unexpected fall of a loved one can result in various types of injuries—some of which are serious enough to require hospitalization. While bruises and abrasions commonly occur and do not require much medical attention, other injuries such as broken bones, hips, and concussions are not uncommon and require the services of an EMT. These later types of fall-related injuries can debilitate your loved one and seriously impact the amount of quality, stress-free time you have to spend with one another, so you should do everything you can to avoid them. As such, in the event of a fall, you’ll want to do everything within your power to put your loved ones in the hands of an emergency technician who can provide him or her with the appropriate care.
While you may be able to reduce the impact of a fall or even lift a fallen loved one on your own through the use of a gait belt or similar device, you’ll want to avoid a situation where—in the process of helping-up your loved one—you injure yourself by straining your neck or back. Such a scenario will only increase your levels of stress by limiting the degree to which you can provide proper care for your loved one in the coming months.
In the event that your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia does fall, you should request and EMT by contacting an emergency service immediately. While traditionally, caregivers called 911 to notify and dispatch and emergency medical service, many caregivers now provide their loved ones with their own means of requesting these services through the use of medical alert devices worn on the wrist or neck. Such devices play an important role in ensuring your loved one receives needed care as soon as possible.
