on Saturday my sister got a call from my dads neighbour saying that he had fallen in the village but had been looked after and was back home. She was popping round again later to check up on him. As my dad is 85 and lives alone we were a bit concerned. As I'm the nearest of my siblings, only 2 hours drive away, I said I would go and check on him. He was ok apart from grazed knee and swollen knuckles where he had landed. He had been a bit confused and wasn't completely sure what had happened, or who had looked after him. He thought the neighbours had bought him home. After speaking to said neighbour I got the proper story. A couple, not even from the area, had been driving through the village and decided to stop at the kitchen design shop (this is Cotswolds village after all!). They had seen dad fall and had picked him up. The kitchen shop apparently cleaned up his knee and sat him down for 20 mins as he was a bit confused. Lovely strangers then drove him home and went knocking on neighbours doors for a more local person to keep an eye on him. Strangers then went back to the village to buy the bits of shopping for dad, paying for them themselves. Neighbour then phoned my sister and checked dad was ok, then and later. By chance when I went to thank the neighbour she was on the phone as strangers had rang later to check dad was ok. She saved their number so that I could ring them later to say thanks. How lovely were they? All of above. I hope that karma rewards their kindness.
How lovely of them. Complete stars. But your poor dad. This'll knock him sideways for a bit. Really hope he's ok.
When we got there he looked all forlorn but by the time we left Sunday dad was quite chipper and was joking that he would fall over again this week in order to get more free groceries! My sister visiting this week and then my brother so reckon he will be fine. Main worry is that he becomes nervous about walking in to the village and doesn't go out. The pavements are a bit uneven so think that was the main cause of his fall.
Maybe ask his GP to check your dads blood pressure, make sure there is no underlying cause for the fall, could just be the pavements, but always a good idea to check his balance too, inner ear etc, was he dehydrated, has eaten that morning...ask GP to do a falls assessment, if all clear, might need an occupational therapist to loom at a walking aid to help?! Then again, just could be a one off
I'm a mental health nurse, so don't know the ins and outs of falls etc but my uncle has dementia and that's what they kinda checked out for him. HTH
Good thinking @juliankv73 he said it was wobbly pavement but last time he fell and ended up confused in the next town it transpired he had a urine infection. Will try to sort dr appt.
It's reassuring to hear about the nice people that are out there. A wise person once said about good people ' if you don't know one, be one' or something like that! Hope your Dad is okay.
Sorry to hear about your Dad's fall, but from what you say he has fallen over before when out and about. I have elderly neighbours and some have had falls at home and needed to be rescued. Maybe get your Dad a Lifeline setup so if he does have a fall he can call for help from the professionals. One of my neighbours fell down stairs and another used to fall frequently and call for an ambulance to come round and pick her up off the floor. Perhaps its time to think about your Dad's future way of life and how to prevent any more falls which can be life threatening to the elderly.
He's got one of those things that you wear around your neck for when he's at home @mgbman tho sometimes forgets he's got it!! We've put a key safe outside that the neighbours have the code to. His cleaners also have a key. We've kept with milk delivery as that would hopefully also be a sign if anything amiss. I agree it's prob time to start looking at some one coming in regularly if only for company and to check on him. @juliankv73 sister going tomorrow to take dads sample to dr
one of my neighbours has the outside key safe as she has carers come in 3 times a day to wash and dress her and clean her home, it does work well and it means that she is looked after, rather than be long term in hospital. another neighbour has a personal carer who comes each day to cook and clean for her and take her to the shops once a week. this seems to work well as its so hard for family to be there every day and its comforting for family to know that care is there. One of them uses a daily meals delivery service. In contrast another lady in her 80's and living alone had no carers and her family rarely visited. I normally saw her and noted her curtains pulled back. Sadly one day there was no sign and I called the Police round and they found her dead indoors. For your Dad you are doing everything you can. Well done.
Isnt it lovely to know there are still some really decent people out there. On the subject of your dad, he has grazed knees and knuckles and was a bit dazed. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but I think he might have gone back to the cage fighting again. I know he promised the family he wouldn't but for some people it's always just one more fight. Remember years ago when he said he wasn't doing bare knuckle boxing against travellers anymore.
That's great to hear -bet you are so relieved - hope when I next fall over in town I get to meet nice people too