Your mother or father fell at home: what to do now and what to tell the doctor

If your mother or father has fallen at home, what you do next depends on what happened. In doubt, take it seriously and call your local emergency number (999 in the UK, 911 in the US); the NHS also points to NHS 111 if your parent is in pain, injured or unwell but it is not an emergency. If the fall was unhurt, you can still bring it up with the doctor or GP practice, because one fall raises the chance of another. And if your parent agrees, they can keep a short note of how they feel in Sam's symptom diary, instead of on loose paper.

This text is general information, not medical or legal advice. A doctor decides what your parent needs, and no medicine is changed on your own say-so. For questions about care and support, advisers can help: in England, Age UK's advice line (0800 678 1602) and your local council's adult social care team, with different organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; in the US, your parent's health care provider and the local Area Agency on Aging.

What you do right after a fall

First, safety. Call your local emergency number (999 in the UK, 911 in the US) if your parent loses consciousness, is in severe pain, cannot get up, or may have injured the head, back, neck or hip. The NHS says to call 999 if a fall may have injured the head, back, neck or hip, or if the person cannot get up. If your parent is in pain, injured or unwell but it is not an emergency, the NHS says to use NHS 111.

If it looks unhurt, write down when it happened, where, and what came before it. Concrete observations help later in the conversation with your parent and in the practice.

Why a fall that looked harmless still matters

The CDC says more than one in four older people falls each year, but less than half tell their doctor. It also notes that falling once doubles your chances of falling again. So a fall is not a one-off event to shrug off.

A fall can be the first sign that balance, eyesight, blood pressure or medicines have changed. The NHS lists weaker muscles, conditions that affect balance, low blood pressure, medicine side effects and problems with eyesight or hearing among the causes. The practice can look into these.

What makes older adults more likely to fall

Risk factors do not act alone. The CDC lists lower body weakness, trouble with walking or balance, and medicines such as tranquilisers, sedatives or antidepressants. Even some medicines you can buy without a prescription can affect how steady someone feels. Vision problems, foot pain and home hazards such as loose rugs or clutter all play a part.

The more risk factors someone has, the higher the chance of a fall. That is why a fall belongs in the practice, and why nothing is stopped on your own. Age UK points out that staying active, eating and drinking enough, and regular eye and hearing checks help keep people steady.

What to tell the doctor or GP practice

Ask your parent first whether you may speak for them, ideally together at the appointment. Bring your notes. Sentences that help: "My mother has fallen twice in the last few months. Can we look at why?" or "My father seems unsure with his tablets. Can we go through the medication together?"

The assessment and any medicine changes stay with the practice. How you prepare the visit together is in our checklist for a doctor appointment. If the practice suggests a falls service, that can include strength and balance training, eye checks and home safety advice.

Other changes worth a conversation

From the outside this is hard to judge, and none of these points is a test. They are examples of changes that can be worth raising, especially when several come together:

• A fall, a near-fall, or unsteadiness when walking.
• Confusion with tablets, prescriptions or appointments.
• Trouble with meals, shopping or personal care.
• Home hazards such as loose rugs, cables or steep steps.

Write down what you noticed and when. If you are helping from a distance, a wearable can help: see setting up Apple Watch for a parent for what it can and cannot do.

How to start the conversation

Start with an observation, not an evaluation. A few ways in:

• "I noticed you hold on when you stand up. How does that feel for you?"
• "What is harder for you at home than it used to be?"
• "If you could wish for one thing, what would make daily life easier?"
• "Shall we bring this up at the next appointment?"

If your parent says no, that is not a failure. Let the topic rest and ask again in a few weeks. More on this is in our guide to talking to your parents about health.

Where to find help, and who advises

You do not have to carry it all alone. In England, Age UK gives free, independent advice by phone (0800 678 1602, 8am to 7pm every day), and your parent's local council can arrange a free care needs assessment. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the organisations and processes differ (Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI are the national partners of the Age UK group), so ask your parent's GP practice or council where to start. In the US, the local Area Agency on Aging can point you to support. These are information services, not a diagnosis.

Your parent decides whether and which help they accept. You can offer lifts, shopping, the first call to a service, or a place in the appointment. Knowing when to act helps you tell a worry from an emergency.

When you do not wait

Chest pain, sudden breathlessness, sudden weakness or numbness, trouble seeing or speaking: these are reasons to call the emergency number (999 in the UK, 911 in the US), or for your parent to call themselves. These are general reasons for an emergency call, not a diagnosis. Do not wait to see if it passes.

If symptoms are new or worrying but not life-threatening, contact the GP practice. Outside opening hours, or if you are unsure, use NHS 111 online or by phone in England (NHS 24 111 in Scotland, NHS 111 Wales, nidirect in Northern Ireland). In the US, call your parent's doctor's office or its after-hours line. Urgent and non-urgent are different, and a blog post does not settle which applies. When in doubt, get professional help rather than waiting at home.

See your parent's days in Sam, if they share them

You see a record instead of guessing by phone, and only what your mother or father chooses to share. Both of you need Sam for that.

• Instead of calls with repeated questions: if your parent logs how they feel in the symptom diary, you see the entries read-only, and you get no alerts about their data.
• Instead of a paper pile before the visit: your parent takes the record as a monthly report PDF to the doctor.
• Instead of screenshots: your parent picks per person what you see, such as sleep, steps or symptoms, and can stop the share at any time. More on Sam for family.

Whether your parent needs more help, Sam cannot tell you; that is settled with the doctor or practice.

Try Sam for free

Sam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or health state. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.

Related reading

• Sharing Apple Health data with partner and family
• Doctor visit checklist for a chronic condition
• Apple Watch fall detection and crash detection

Sources

Updated: October 2026

• NHS: Falls (page reviewed 06 March 2025)
• CDC: Facts About Older Adult Falls (updated 04 September 2026)
• Age UK: Preventing falls
• NICE: Falls: assessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk (NG249, published 29 April 2025)

General information, not legal advice. Laws, deadlines and agency practice change, and your case may differ. Before applications, deadlines and conversations with employers, insurers or agencies, get advice from an adviser or lawyer. Legal state: October 2026.