My client fell — what do I do?
2 min readFalls and emergency response
Do not move the client right away. Check for responsiveness and serious injury first — call 911 for any head injury, severe pain, bleeding, or if they can't get up — then notify your supervisor and document everything.
- 1Stay calm and stay with the client. Do not pull them up immediately.
- 2Check: are they responsive? Breathing? Any head impact, severe pain, deformity, or bleeding?
- 3Call 911 if there is a head injury, loss of consciousness, severe pain, suspected fracture, or you cannot safely help them up.
- 4If uninjured and able, guide them to get up slowly using a sturdy chair — assist, don't lift their full weight.
- 5Notify your supervisor and the appropriate care team member the same day, even for a 'no-injury' fall.
- 6Document objectively: time, where, what you saw (not what you assume happened), the client's condition, actions taken, who was notified.
Falls you did not witness: treat as a possible injury — you don't know if they hit their head. When in doubt, call 911 or the nurse line.
Call 911 immediately if
Client is unconscious, not breathing normally, bleeding heavily, or you suspect a head, neck, or spine injury.
What to remember
- —Stay calm and stay with the client.
- —Check: are they responsive? Breathing? Any head impact, severe pain, deformity, or bleeding?.
- —Call 911 if there is a head injury, loss of consciousness, severe pain, suspected fracture, or you cannot safely help them up..