Falls: When It's 999, and When It Isn't

If someone's just fallen, right now, and any of the warning signs below apply, call 999 immediately, don't keep reading.

A fall in an older parent is one of the most common reasons families end up calling for help, and one of the most frightening. This is what to check first, and what happens next.

Give them thirty seconds before you do anything

A broken hip, a spinal injury, or a bleed inside the skull doesn't always cause obvious pain straight away. Before moving them or helping them up, give them a moment to tell you what they're feeling.

Call 999 if any of these apply

They're unconscious, very drowsy, or can't be woken. They've hit their head and take blood-thinning or antiplatelet medication, this includes warfarin, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), apixaban (Eliquis), clopidogrel, or regular aspirin prescribed for the heart or stroke prevention. With these medications, even a minor knock to the head can cause a slow bleed that only becomes serious hours later, even if they seem completely fine at first.

There's severe pain in the hip, pelvis, back or neck. They say "I don't know what happened, I just found myself on the floor", losing consciousness before a fall, not just after it, needs urgent attention even if they seem physically fine now. Or you notice signs of a stroke, use the FAST test: Face drooping on one side, Arms weak or numb on one side, Speech slurred or confused, Time to call 999 if any of these are present.

999 or 111?

Call 999 when the situation feels urgent or you're genuinely not sure. Call 111 if the fall seems minor, there's no obvious injury, and you just want advice. When in doubt, always call 999, you will not be wasting anyone's time.

Why how long they've been on the floor matters

If someone's been on the floor for more than an hour, whether they fell overnight or simply couldn't reach the phone, treat it as a medical emergency even if there's no visible injury. Research from the University of Nottingham has found that lying on the floor for a long period is dangerous in its own right. Within around 90 minutes, the body can start to suffer from dehydration, cold, pressure-related skin damage, and in some cases kidney problems.

Don't try to lift them yourself

Unless you're confident they're uninjured and able to help themselves up, don't attempt to lift them alone. Family carers aren't trained to do this safely without the right technique or equipment, and trying can injure you both. Keep them warm and comfortable, with a blanket if needed, while you wait for help.

After the fall: keep watching

Even after the immediate danger has passed, it's worth monitoring for new symptoms for around a week to ten days, particularly if they're on blood-thinning medication. Bruising, confusion, drowsiness, or new pain that appears later should still be checked out, even if the fall itself seemed minor at the time.

How common is this, really

Genuinely common. Across the UK, ambulance services respond to roughly 700,000 emergency calls a year related to falls in people aged 65 and over, around one in ten of all 999 calls. About 30% of people over 65, and 50% of those over 80, fall at least once a year. You are not overreacting by taking this seriously.

Reducing the risk of it happening again

If falls are becoming frequent, or you're worried about the home environment, ask your GP for a referral to a Falls Prevention Service, or contact adult social services at the local council directly for a home needs assessment. An occupational therapist will visit to see what's actually difficult in practice, tell them about anything that's hard, even small things.

Minor adaptations, grab rails, an extra stair rail, a raised toilet seat, are typically provided at no cost. Major adaptations, like a level-access shower or a stairlift, go through a means-tested Disabled Facilities Grant via the local council.

A word from The Care Compass

A fall is often the moment a family realises things have changed, sometimes the first real sign that more support is needed. It's frightening in the moment, but there's genuinely a clear, established system behind it, both for the emergency itself and for reducing the risk of it happening again.

This is general guidance, not medical advice. In an emergency, always call 999.

You don’t have to navigate it alone.