Shopping for aids for seniors to get up from the floor

[Nathan]

This past Sunday evening my wife tripped and fell as we were bringing the dogs in from going potty. Her head hit the floor, the metal glasses frame put a gash to the side of her eye, bleeding profusely. Once we got some sterile gauze on the wound to control the bleeding, we assessed her overall condition. Her overall fitness(muscle strength, flexibility) is poor, she cannot get up off the floor, and indeed, I have a hard time helping her get up as well. Finally got her standing, used a low sitting stool for her to get part way up. After a couple hours, she did not have any symptoms that would require a trip to the ER. Should You Go to the Emergency Room After a Mild Head Injury?

As much as I believe that raising her fitness level is the primary solution, I think the time has come to purchase some devices that aid in getting up off the floor. I'm looking on Amazon for such devices: aids+for+seniors+to+get+up+from+the+floor, would something like this be useful?



Or maybe something like this:



I've got grab bars in the shower, and additional bars in both bathrooms. I'm going to get a couple more, like these:



Anyone use devices such as these, or others that may be beneficial ?

 

[Babs2u]

If one is able to crawl, pulling up on a stable piece of furniture is a possibility.

 

[horseless carriage]

So sorry to hear about your wife Nathan, I do hope she recovers quickly. I do empathise about your evaluation of going to the ER. Over here we call it A&E accident and emergency. You will probably be kept waiting around for hours on end and when you do get to see a doctor, chances are the doctor is a fresh graduate.
We use the grab handles that you mention in our bath tub and for extra safety, a non slip mat fitted with suction caps. But getting up from a fall is always difficult, even with help. I can do it better by getting up looking face down. On my knees first, then into a squat position and finally standing up.

 

[Kaila]

Of course I don't know what would help her, or any individual person, specifically, Nathan.

But my thoughts....
Using an outdoor garden kneeler indoors, can help. Especially if one can put ones knees on the pad. Then the two handles are on both sides of the person, and can be held, while person is inside of them.
That might require less strength.

That ladder type in your picture looks interesting but seems like it would need some coordination and significant grip strength.

More grab bars in bathroom are always useful.

The more I looked at the black ones in your picture...
If the flooring would take the suction, OR if they had a wide enough base,
Then you could place them on both sides of her, so she is between them. That might help Her to get up.

Pulling herself up or reaching too far, takes extra strengththat many of us don't have.

 

[Della]

We have bars like that in the bathroom but no where else.
For many years, even before I broke my leg I haven't been able to rise easily from any low chair and the few times I've fallen to the floor I've had to scoot to a sturdy chair and pull myself up. (Like Babs just said.)
I have no devices, but I have learned a little bit from the online physical therapists.
I had to teach my husband to get behind me, put his hands under my arms and lift, rather than pull on my arm from the front.

 

[Nathan]

Of course I don't know what would help her, or any individual person, specifically, Nathan.

But my thoughts....
Using an outdoor garden kneeler indoors, can help. Especially if one can put ones knees on the pad. Then the two handles are on both sides of the person, and can be held, while person is inside of them.
That might require less strength.

That ladder type in your picture looks interesting but seems like it would need some coordination and significant grip strength.

More grab bars in bathroom are always useful.

The more I looked at the black ones in your picture...
If the flooring would take the suction, OR if they had a wide enough base,
Then you could place them on both sides of her, so she is between them. That might help Her to get up.

Pulling herself up or reaching too far, takes extra strengththat many of us don't have.

@Kaila , I'm glad you mentioned the gardening kneelers, I had thought of those but had forgotten. I'm putting a couple gardening kneelers in my Amazon shopping cart.

I may not always be around when she does fall, I need to get some objects to leave around the house "in case". This is the second time she's fallen at or near the back door, I'll definitely leave some mobility aids there. Maybe it's time to get her one of those medical alert devices, I'm looking at the SOS Smartwatch.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would encourage you both to watch several of the short videos on YouTube and see if you can find a method that doesn’t require special equipment.

I believe that the equipment is good and has value but chances are that a fall will occur when the aids are not handy.

This is one simple method.

Find a method that you are comfortable with and practice.

Good luck.

 

[Kaila]

@Kaila , I'm glad you mentioned the gardening kneelers, I had thought of those but had forgotten. I'm putting a couple gardening kneelers in my Amazon shopping cart.

I may not always be around when she does fall, I need to get some objects to leave around the house "in case". This is the second time she's fallen at or near the back door, I'll definitely leave some mobility aids there. Maybe it's time to get her one of those medical alert devices, I'm looking at the SOS Smartwatch.

Yes, i think that it's likely time for one of those devices for her.
I know nothing at all about the watches.
Perhaps they work better than the buttons.

My husband's med alert button is better than nothing, but disappointed me.
The much advertised (and extra cost)
fall sensor is extremely undependable.
However if he falls and is still able to press the button himself, then they answer.

It needs to be on the charger (and not on him) for at least several hours, daily. He would be safer if it could charge more quickly than that.

 

[Gardenlover]

Nathan, sorry to hear about your wife's fall, but glad to hear she is okay.

You've already gotten some excellent advice. If her physical condition and balance is getting worse, it may be time to get a walker to help prevent the fall in the first place.

 

[Gardenlover]

Yes, i think that it's likely time for one of those devices for her.
I know nothing at all about the watches.
Perhaps they work better than the buttons.

My husband's med alert button is better than nothing, but disappointed me.
The much advertised (and extra cost)
fall sensor is extremely undependable.
However if he falls and is still able to press the button himself, then they answer.

It needs to be on the charger (and not on him) for at least several hours, daily. He would be safer if it could charge more quickly than that.

Would it get enough of a charge overnight when he is sleeping? But then he may be up and down all night, so charging it at night might not be practical.

 

[Nathan]

Yes, i think that it's likely time for one of those devices for her.
I know nothing at all about the watches.
Perhaps they work better than the buttons.

My husband's med alert button is better than nothing, but disappointed me.
The much advertised (and extra cost)
fall sensor is extremely undependable.
However if he falls and is still able to press the button himself, then they answer.

It needs to be on the charger (and not on him) for at least several hours, daily. He would be safer if it could charge more quickly than that.

I am going to research the smartwatches very closely for an alert feature, I'm convinced that it's technologically feasible to be able to send an alert to a designated recipient. She wears a Fitbit watch currently, may be time for an upgrade.

 

[Nathan]

Nathan, sorry to hear about your wife's fall, but glad to hear she is okay.

You've already gotten some excellent advice. If her physical condition and balance is getting worse, it may be time to get a walker to help prevent the fall in the first place.

I don't think we're quite there yet, I'm going to re-double my support for her to participate in more in-depth physical conditioning.

 

[Pepper]

Nathan! Sorry for your wife's ordeal, so frightening. The first picture looked the most helpful to me for getting off the floor. It had levels like a ladder to grab & raise yourself.

 

[hollydolly]

Nathan there's an item that's advertised everywhere as an aid to helping older people get up if they fall..

I bought one, because altho' I'm otherwise fit.. I have OA in my knees.. and all the youtube videos tell you to roll onto your front, then slowly get up using your arms until you get on your knees.. well I can't kneel , it's too painful, like literally kneeling on broken glass.. so I thought this item would help me get up...

Now this might be handy if someone else is helping you up... and you need an extra hold... or if you're getting up from a sitting position and using it as an aid to standing ... but it's not any good on it's own for someone on their own who falls.

It's far too small for a start even tho' it has various heights , and not stable enough, so you can't get a real purchase on it, because it's wobbly when you put pressure on it...

So I'm just warning you against buying anything like this.. do find something that's much more stable, and higher to be able to grip, without the risk of it falling over

 

[Kaila]

You might want to look at various garden kneelers, Nathan,
To select 1 that is sturdy and not tipsy.

There's one from fox valley, sold by Walmart and probably Amazon, with good handles and a 3 inch thick cushion, that looks easier to get on and off than the one my dh has used.

 

[Fritz]

That first blue one looks a little more stable but furniture tends to be more helpful. The third things look like shower and tub handles. If it were me I'd try that first blue one.

I have a hard time getting off the floor. I need leverage.

 

[Fritz]

Nathan! Sorry for your wife's ordeal, so frightening. The first picture looked the most helpful to me for getting off the floor. It had levels like a ladder to grab & raise yourself.

Exactly

 

[Kaila]

Would it get enough of a charge overnight when he is sleeping? But then he may be up and down all night, so charging it at night might not be practical.

Yes that would be enough charge, but it's one of the times he needs most to be wearing it.

 

[That Lady in PA]

Can her doctor refer her to PT/OT?
They can try different devices and techniques with her and see what works best.

 

[hollydolly]

You might want to look at various garden kneelers, Nathan,
To select 1 that is sturdy and not tipsy.

There's one from fox valley, sold by Walmart and probably Amazon, with good handles and a 3 inch thick cushion, that looks easier to get on and off than the one my dh has used.

I have that one had it for years now.... it folds flat, but it;s small and it's very lightweight...and only really useful in the garden tbh

this....

 

[Imogene]

If one is able to crawl, pulling up on a stable piece of furniture is a possibility.

This ^^^^ works well. I have not fallen in the house, but there are times when I have to get down on my knees to reach for something or clean underneath a piece of furniture.

I also have to walk with a cane so having that available is a big help to push myself up.

 

[Kaila]

I have 1 exactly like that one, too,
@hollydolly

It's a different one that I've recently seen. and was referring to in my post above.

I think there are lots of them with same names, atm, from what I've noticed.

The one i am now eyeing had a 3 inch thick, and about 10 or 12 inch deep cushion. Thicker and wider than the one you pictured.

And flat larger handles.

 

[SeaBreeze]

@Nathan, I'm sorry to hear about your wife's fall, hope she's still doing okay and glad you were there to help her. Good advice on this thread. The aid has to be withing reach of where she may fall again, that's hard to accomplish I would imagine. Anyway, I wish her well.

 

[jujube]

We put grab bars inside and outside the front door of my late mother's house (there was a very low step down onto the porch). When going through the door, she could grab a bar.

We also put them at the corners in the house so when she was going around a corner, she could grab a bar if she got unbalanced.

 

[Jules]

The aid has to be withing reach of where she may fall again

That‘s the key thing. None of these devices are of any value if she can’t reach them.

If she has a smartphone, especially with a linked watch, at least she’d be able to call for help. As a minimum she could carry her cellphone with her.