Conscious after a fall: ask for help without false promises

Follow official health guidance first

NHS guidance advises staying calm, checking for pain or injury, and getting up only if able, slowly and with stable support. If getting up is not possible, use a reachable phone or personal alarm to obtain help. For severe pain, visible injury or danger, follow local emergency operators.

If movement may make matters worse, stay still

Do not improvise exercises or transfers. Stop when movement increases pain, instability or risk and wait for professional direction. This guide cannot assess an injury remotely: describe what happened and answer the questions from emergency services or an appropriate health professional.

Use a reachable device to state essential facts

If a phone or wearable can be used, state your name, location, that a fall occurred, that you are conscious and the concrete difficulty, without diagnosing yourself. A short message might say “I fell, I am conscious, I am not trying to stand, call me now”; share location only when chosen and useful.

Primary and backup contacts need a defined task

The person chooses whom to involve. The primary contact knows the expected signal, how to acknowledge ownership and when to call; the backup takes over if the primary has not confirmed within the agreed threshold. Also define when local responders should be called: sending or reading a message does not prove help is moving.

Phones, wearables and apps have different limits

A phone supports calls, SMS and apps, but it must be close enough and operable. An app can organise a signal to trusted contacts, yet depends on the handset, connection and notifications. A wearable may stay on the body, while battery, pairing, coverage and controls vary. Use the matrix to assemble a plan rather than declare a winner.

Prepare the route before it is needed

Run an announced rehearsal without simulating injury: reach the device from a safe position, send the message, receive acknowledgement and hand over to backup. Check connection, battery and the second channel; never call public responders merely to test.

• Are NHS or local service instructions known?
• Is the device reachable without risky movement?
• Does the message state event, place and need without diagnosis?
• Have primary and backup accepted roles and a threshold?
• Were call, SMS, app or wearable routes tested?
• Is the point for calling emergency services clear?

If pain, visible injury or danger makes movement uncertain, do not improvise: call local services and follow the operator’s directions.

A concrete scenario to rehearse together

A conscious person after a fall may state their location and the kind of help requested. Write the observable fact first and do not turn an assumption into certainty.

The contact says they are calling and gives a callback time without promising certain arrival. Give the next step to one named person and an accepted backup.

The signal is self-reported and cannot establish injury, severity or ability to move. Set a realistic window and define the reply before starting.

If the person can clearly call a relative, another app may be unnecessary. Keep only necessary data and show clearly who will receive it.

When not to use the app and how to maintain fallback

Do not instruct standing or moving based on general family advice. If a call or direct conversation solves the task, stop at the simpler solution.

If internet fails, calls, SMS and a consenting neighbour remain in the plan. Prepare calls, SMS, paper numbers and an agreed in-person check where appropriate.

If the primary does not answer, the backup takes ownership and confirms the next step. Review consent, contacts, devices and availability whenever the routine changes.

For immediate danger or inability to communicate, use local responders directly. For immediate danger use the local service directly and do not wait for a notification.

• Scenario rehearsed?
• Owner named?
• Backup available?
• Minimum data?
• Second channel ready?
• Plan current?

Frequently asked questions