The phone call most adult children dread starts with "Mom fell."

Sometimes it is from a neighbor. Sometimes from an ER. Sometimes it is your dad on the line, embarrassed, telling you he is fine but he is not getting up off the bathroom floor by himself. And then everything in your week stops.

This guide is for the next 72 hours: what to do tonight, who to call tomorrow, what to ask the doctor and the physical therapist, and a one-page checklist to work through.

It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor or physical therapist, both of whom should be involved after any fall. It is the practical, in-the-house side of week one.

The First 72 Hours

The first hour

Before anyone helps them up, take a breath. How they got down matters less than how they land again — a second fall during the first attempt to stand is how a sore hip becomes a fracture.

Four things mean emergency care now rather than a doctor's appointment tomorrow:

They hit their head — especially if they take a blood thinner
They lost consciousness, even briefly, or seem confused or drowsy
They cannot put weight on a leg, hip, or arm, or something looks wrong or bent
The pain is severe, or there is bleeding that will not stop

If none of those apply, help them up slowly, with something solid to hold onto, and then watch the rest of the day closely. The CDC tracks falls in adults 65 and over every year; what happens in the hours after a fall tells you more than the fall itself.

The rest of today

Write down what happened while it is fresh: where they were, what they were doing, what time it was, whether they tripped or felt dizzy or blacked out, and what they have taken today. The doctor will ask, and the answers change what they look for.

Then call the doctor's office even if they seem fine. Not the emergency line — the regular office, today or first thing tomorrow. A fall is a symptom as much as an event — the trigger for a medication review, not just a story about a sore knee.

Keep them off stairs tonight. Put a chair with arms where they usually sit. Clear and light the path between bed and bathroom, and make sure the bathroom door cannot be blocked if they go down against it.

Days two and three

If the doctor referred them to physical therapy, book it now, and ask whether a home health PT evaluation is possible if travel is hard. A therapist in the house in week one is normal after a fall — far more useful than a printed exercise sheet.

This is also when the house gets its first honest walk-through in a while: throw rugs, cords, the path to the bathroom at night, the towel bar they grab getting out of the tub. You do not have to run the whole project — just the route they actually walk.

Who to Call

In order, usually across two or three days:

The doctor's office — for a fall check, a medication review, and a PT referral if warranted.
A physical therapist — for balance, strength, and a realistic read on which transfers are risky now. Ask about home health PT if travel is hard.
The pharmacist — the most underused call on this list, and faster than anyone else at flagging combinations that cause lightheadedness on standing.
Family, for the schedule — someone in the house during week one's highest-risk hours: the first hour after waking, showers, overnight bathroom trips.
A caregiver, for the hours you cannot cover — when the schedule does not close, this is exactly what non-medical home care is for. If keeping mom at home safely is the plan, our fall prevention home care service covers the daily support side: hands-on help with bathing and toileting, sit-to-stand support, medication reminders, and someone awake for the 3 a.m. bathroom trip.

What to Ask the Doctor

Could any of their medications have contributed — anything new, anything that drops blood pressure on standing, anything sedating?
Do they need imaging, especially if they hit their head or landed hard on a hip, wrist, or shoulder?
Should we get a physical therapy referral, and can it happen at home?
What are this week's activity limits — stairs, lifting, bathing, being alone?
Is this a reason to look at bone health?
When is the follow-up, and what symptoms should send us to urgent care or the ER instead?

What to Ask the Physical Therapist

The PT sees what a doctor's visit cannot: how they stand up, turn, and grab.

What does the assessment say is driving the risk right now — strength, balance, vision, medication, or the environment?
Which transfers are riskiest this week: bed, tub, car, stairs? What should we do differently?
What exercises, how often, and what does "too much" look like?
Do they need a cane or walker, fitted to their height? A badly fitted walker is its own hazard.
What should a caregiver or family member watch for while they exercise?

The First-Week Checklist

One page. Put it on the fridge.

Tonight

Fall details written down: where, when, what they were doing, what they'd taken
Doctor's office called, or the first call in the morning
Path from bed to bathroom cleared and lit
No stairs tonight, and a steady chair where they sit
Someone in the house overnight, or a check-in plan

Within 72 hours

Doctor's visit done and medications reviewed
Physical therapy scheduled — at home if travel is hard
Their walking route cleared of rugs, cords, and clutter
Bathroom dealt with: something solid to hold at the tub and the toilet
Shower plan set: seat, non-slip mat, and someone nearby if they are unsteady
The schedule covered for the highest-risk hours
Warning signs (below) posted where the family can see

By the end of week one

Follow-up date on the calendar
Any equipment that was ordered is in place and fitted
An honest answer to "is this working?" from whoever is in the house during the day

When to Escalate

Some signs mean it is time for a doctor or physical therapist, not just a house adjustment:

A second fall has already happened, even a minor one — the strongest predictor of the next fall is the last fall
They are gripping furniture to move across a room
They have stopped doing things because of unsteadiness — laundry in the basement, the garden, the long hallway
A new medication has been added and they have mentioned feeling lightheaded
They have lost weight or muscle mass noticeably in the last few months
They are afraid of falling — fear of falling itself increases fall risk, and is a flag for evaluation

If any of those are true, a fall-risk assessment from a PT or geriatrician is worth the appointment.

The Weeks After

The first week is triage. The weeks after are the real work — the routines, the supervision during the hours falls cluster, the slow replacement of risky habits. A therapist evaluates balance and a doctor reviews medications; a caregiver covers the hours in between, where most falls still happen.

How to Start with Colorado CareAssist

If you are in Colorado and want a non-medical caregiver in the home — a few hours a day, several evenings a week, overnight after a hospitalization, or full-time during a recovery — that is what we do.

A care coordinator can walk through the home within 24 hours of your call, flag the specific hazards we see, and have a trained caregiver in place within 48 hours. The first conversation is free and there is no obligation.

Denver and Front Range: (303) 757-1777. Colorado Springs and Pueblo: (719) 428-3999. Or send us a message and we will follow up the same day.

The call you do not want to get is the one that starts with "Mom fell." If you have already gotten it, the next 72 hours are the ones worth getting right.

Mom Fell. Now What? The First 72 Hours After a Fall