Your Parent Has Had a Fall: What Happens Next

A physiotherapist’s guide to the days and weeks after an elderly parent falls – and how to help them recover safely.

When you get the call that your parent has fallen, it’s frightening. Your mind races through worst-case scenarios: Is this the beginning of the end of their independence? Will they fall again? Are they safe to live at home?

These fears are completely natural. But here’s something most families don’t realise: what happens in the days and weeks after a fall matters just as much as the fall itself. The right response can mean the difference between a temporary setback and a long-term decline.

This guide walks you through exactly what to expect – from the first hour through to full recovery – drawing on our team’s average of 18 years’ experience treating elderly patients after falls.

In This Article

1. The First Hour: What to Do Immediately
2. The First 48 Hours: What to Watch For
3. The First Two Weeks: The Hidden Danger
4. When a Fall Signals Something Bigger
5. What Professional Help Actually Looks Like
6. A Real Recovery Story

The First Hour: What to Do Immediately

If you’re with your parent when they fall – or you arrive shortly after – stay calm. Your composure will help them stay calm too.

Check for serious injury

Before helping them up, ask:

• Are you in severe pain anywhere?
• Can you move your arms and legs?
• Did you hit your head?
• Do you feel dizzy or confused?

If they report severe pain (especially in the hip, back, or head), confusion, or they can’t move a limb, call 999. Do not attempt to move them.

If they seem okay

If there’s no obvious serious injury, you can help them up – but do it properly:

1. Don’t rush. Give them a moment to collect themselves.
2. Help them roll onto their side, then onto their hands and knees.
3. Bring a sturdy chair close to them.
4. Let them use the chair to pull themselves up, one leg at a time.
5. Once standing, have them sit in the chair for a few minutes before walking.

Even if they say they’re fine, a fall from standing height in an older person warrants a GP appointment within 24-48 hours. Injuries – particularly fractures – aren’t always immediately obvious.

The First 48 Hours: What to Watch For

Many families breathe a sigh of relief once their parent is up and moving. But the first 48 hours require careful observation.

Symptoms to mention to the GP

Book an urgent appointment if you notice:

• Persistent dizziness or unsteadiness
• New difficulty with walking or balance
• Pain that isn’t improving with paracetamol
• Anxiety about moving or leaving their chair
• Any loss of consciousness during the fall (even briefly)

The question most families forget to ask

Here’s what families often miss: Why did they fall?

It’s easy to attribute a fall to bad luck – a loose rug, a wet floor, a moment of inattention. But falls in older adults are rarely random accidents. They’re usually the result of multiple factors combining: reduced strength, impaired balance, medication side effects, vision problems, or underlying health changes.

Understanding the why is essential for preventing the next fall. A proper falls assessment can identify these underlying factors. If your parent can’t clearly explain what happened, that’s important information in itself – it may suggest a medical cause such as a drop in blood pressure or a cardiac episode.

The First Two Weeks: The Hidden Danger

This is where many families – and even some healthcare professionals – underestimate what’s happening.

The confidence crash

After a fall, most older people experience a significant drop in confidence. They become hyperaware of every step, every transition from sitting to standing. This is a protective instinct, but it can backfire badly.

When someone becomes afraid to move, they move less. When they move less, they get weaker. When they get weaker, their risk of falling again increases. This vicious cycle can set in within days.

Signs your parent may be caught in this cycle:

• Reluctant to get out of their chair
• Asking for help with things they previously did independently
• Avoiding going outside or into the garden
• Sleeping more or seeming withdrawn
• Saying things like “I’m just going to take it easy for a while”

While rest has its place, prolonged inactivity after a fall is one of the biggest predictors of long-term decline.

The hospital deconditioning problem

If your parent’s fall resulted in a hospital admission, this issue is magnified. Even a short hospital stay – one or two weeks – can cause significant deconditioning in older adults.

Hospital environments aren’t designed for mobility. Patients spend most of their time in bed or in a chair. Meals are brought to them. There’s little reason to walk. The result is rapid muscle loss and reduced cardiovascular fitness – on top of whatever injury they went in with.

It’s common for families collecting their parent from hospital to discover they’re considerably less mobile than before the fall, even if the original injury has healed. This isn’t the injury – it’s deconditioning, and it’s reversible with the right hospital discharge rehabilitation.

When a Fall Signals Something Bigger

Not all falls are equal. Some are genuine one-off accidents. Others are warning signs of an underlying problem that needs addressing.

Signs it was probably a one-off

• Your parent is generally fit and active
• The fall had a clear mechanical cause (tripped on something, slipped on ice)
• They recovered quickly and are back to normal within a few days
• No history of previous falls or near-misses
• No recent changes to medications or health

Signs it may be signalling something bigger

• They’ve become noticeably frailer or less mobile in recent months
• There have been previous falls or “near misses” (stumbles, grabbing furniture for support)
• The fall happened during a routine activity with no obvious cause
• They can’t remember exactly what happened
• They’ve had recent changes to medications
• They’ve been feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or “off”

If the second list sounds familiar, your parent needs a proper falls assessment – not just treatment for any immediate injury. Falls are what we call multifactorial: there’s rarely one single cause, but rather a combination of factors (muscle weakness, balance problems, medication effects, vision issues) that together increase risk.

The good news is that most of these factors are treatable or manageable. But first, they need to be identified.

What Professional Help Actually Looks Like

When families contact us after a parent has fallen, they often don’t know what to expect from physiotherapy. Here’s what a typical pathway looks like.

Initial assessment

A physiotherapist will visit your parent at home to conduct a comprehensive assessment. We are 100% mobile – we bring the clinic to your parent, so there’s no stressful travel to appointments or waiting rooms. This isn’t just about testing strength and balance – it’s about understanding the full picture:

• Detailed history of the fall and any previous falls
• Medical history and current medications
• Assessment of mobility, balance, and gait
• Evaluation of the home environment for hazards
• Understanding of their daily routine and what matters to them

Think of the physiotherapist as an investigator. The goal is to identify why the fall happened, not just to treat the symptoms.

Treatment

Based on the assessment, your parent will receive a personalised rehabilitation programme. This typically includes:

• Strength training – targeted exercises to rebuild muscle, particularly in the legs and core
• Balance work – progressive exercises to improve stability and reaction times
• Functional practice – working on the specific activities that matter (getting in and out of chairs, climbing stairs, walking to the kitchen)
• Confidence building – gradual exposure to activities they’ve been avoiding

Sessions are usually weekly, with exercises to practise between visits. Progress is monitored and the programme adjusted as your parent improves.

Occupational therapy

Depending on your parent’s needs, an Occupational Therapist (OT) may also be involved. OTs specialise in helping people manage daily activities safely and can:

• Recommend equipment (grab rails, shower seats, walking aids)
• Suggest adaptations to the home
• Teach new techniques for tasks that have become difficult
• Assess whether additional support is needed

NHS vs private

The NHS does provide falls services and community physiotherapy, but waiting times are often substantial. We frequently see families who were referred to NHS therapy at discharge but haven’t received an appointment weeks later – during which time their parent has deconditioned further.

Private physiotherapy allows intervention to begin immediately, which often leads to faster and better outcomes. It’s also entirely possible to use private services while remaining on NHS waiting lists – the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

A Real Recovery Story

Phil had a fall on his 80th birthday. He’d had a couple of drinks celebrating with family, and as he was going to bed in the semi-darkness, he lost his balance and fell heavily. The result was a fractured hip.

After surgery and a hospital stay, Phil came home a changed man. He needed care four times a day and could barely transfer from bed to chair using a zimmer frame. The active, independent grandfather his family knew had disappeared.

His family contacted us to begin physiotherapy immediately. The focus was initially on rebuilding strength in his hip and improving his stability during basic movements – getting in and out of bed, standing from a chair. As Phil’s strength returned, we progressed to walking, balance exercises, and improving his reaction times.

Week by week, Phil improved. He progressed from a zimmer frame to elbow crutches, and eventually to a single walking stick. He chose to keep the stick long-term for confidence on uneven ground – a sensible decision for anyone with some residual weakness.

The most significant outcome? Phil no longer needs any care whatsoever. He’s back to independent living, enjoying time with his family, and getting out and about. The investment in weekly physiotherapy sessions – starting immediately after discharge rather than waiting for NHS services – made all the difference.

Taking the Next Step

If your parent has recently had a fall, or you’re worried about their mobility and want to prevent a fall happening, we’re here to help.

Our physiotherapists and occupational therapists specialise in working with older adults in their own homes across Hampshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire. With an average of 18 years’ experience, they understand both the clinical complexities and the emotional challenges families face.

Contact us for a free initial conversation →

You can speak directly with Naomi, our Clinical Director, who will listen to your situation and advise on whether – and how – we can help. There’s no obligation and no hard sell. Just honest, professional guidance from people who do this every day.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional for specific medical concerns.