When an older adult keeps falling: what families need to know
Senior Care · Jul 16, 2026
This article is general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk to a qualified health professional about your own situation. If you think someone may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.
If you help care for an aging parent or loved one, a fall can be one of the most unsettling things to witness, or to hear about after the fact. It is tempting to brush it off as a stumble, a bad step, a one-off. But in my experience, a fall in an older adult is worth paying attention to, and treating it as a possible signal rather than a simple accident can make a real difference to what comes next.
In healthcare, we pay close attention to falls as people get older. According to the
Public Health Agency of Canada
, falls are the leading cause of both injury-related hospitalizations and injury deaths among Canadians aged 65 and older, and about a third of older adults fall each year. Beyond any injury from the fall itself, a fall can sometimes point to underlying health changes that are worth understanding, so that small problems can be addressed before they become bigger ones.Key takeaways
- A fall in an older adult is often a signal worth looking into, not simply an accident to shrug off.
- Falls usually have more than one cause: some mix of muscle loss, coordination and vision changes, heart health, and a home that no longer fits the person living in it.
- Difficulty getting up after a fall can be an important warning sign, and it is a good reason to seek a medical assessment.
- Getting help quickly matters, and knowing help is available can be reassuring for both the older adult and the family.
- A good time to make a plan and talk about safety is early, before a fall, when everyone is relaxed.
Navigate life’s changes with more ease and confidence with TELUS Health Medical Alert.
Why older adults fall, and why it is rarely one thing
When someone starts to fall more often, there is usually more than one reason. In my clinical experience, the factors that commonly contribute include changes in coordination, weakness or loss of muscle (sometimes made worse when protein intake is not enough to maintain muscle mass), changes in vision that make it easier to trip or miss a step, and changes in heart health that can leave a person more easily out of breath.
Because a fall is seldom traceable to a single cause, it is usually worth looking into the range of possible reasons rather than settling on the first easy explanation, especially when an older adult starts falling and it is unexpected. A health professional can help sort out what is going on.
Two causes that are easy to miss: deconditioning and a home that no longer fits
Two contributors get overlooked again and again. The first is deconditioning: the gradual loss of muscle and fitness that can come with age, reduced activity, and too little protein. It builds quietly, so it is rarely named as the reason someone has become less steady.
The second is the home itself. A house that suited a younger person with good vision, strength, and coordination can become harder to navigate for the same person years later. We tend to think of stairs, but it is more than that: the layout of a home, objects on the floor, uneven surfaces, and the transitions between them, like going from grass to concrete or over the lip of a door sill. Getting in and out of a vehicle is another common one. Our bodies change gradually, and we do not always adjust our surroundings to match. Over time, the environment can catch up with us.
When a fall might be worth discussing with a health professional
In my experience, even a first fall, if it is serious, is worth following up on to understand the cause. A fall that leads to broken bones or an emergency department visit is a good reason to ask a health professional why it happened.
It is not only dramatic falls that are worth discussing. A series of smaller falls that leave a person bruised or shaken, even without a hospital visit, can be worth raising with a professional when they keep happening. So can falling in a familiar environment that has not really changed, which may suggest something about the person's health has shifted.
Some of the most
useful signals come from simply talking with the person
. Do they feel as comfortable moving through their home and their day as they used to? Have they quietly started avoiding certain places, trips, vehicles, or the stairs to another floor? Those observations can be worth sharing with a doctor or nurse practitioner, who can advise on whether a fall-risk assessment makes sense.In the moment: staying safe and getting help
If you or a loved one falls, the priorities are safety and getting the right help. As a general guide, many clinicians suggest taking a moment to check for pain or obvious injury before moving, and calling for help rather than rushing to stand. If there is any sign of a serious injury, if the person is unconscious or unresponsive, or if you are unsure, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. (This is general information, not first-aid training; consider a recognized first-aid course to be prepared.)
One thing worth thinking about long before it is ever needed: if something happened, whether a fall or a sudden event like a heart attack, would the person be able to get help? Many older adults live alone, or live with someone who may be out of earshot. Asking honestly who would come, and how they would even know, is part of planning for falls.
When you are with someone who has fallen and it is not an emergency, it can help to understand what led to the fall, because that can guide the conversation about whether to follow up with a health professional. If in doubt, seek medical advice.
A common instinct to watch for: calling it "just an accident"
One of the most common instincts is to dismiss a fall as a fluke. Of course accidents happen. But as I often remind families, it is usually better to ask a few questions and find that everything is fine than to stay quiet and later face a more serious fall that turns out to have had warning signs. Checking in is not an overreaction.
It does not have to be an ordeal, and families often worry that asking questions will offend or embarrass a loved one. In my experience, a gentle check-in is worth it. A false alarm is a good outcome.
Why time on the floor is worth taking seriously
Here is something families may underestimate. If a person falls and cannot get back up on their own, that difficulty can itself be a sign that something more is going on, whether an injury or reduced strength, coordination, or breath. It is a good reason to seek a medical assessment to understand why.
There is a second reason speed matters. Whatever contributed to the fall may still be going on while the person is down. If the underlying cause is something like a heart problem or a stroke, that is a medical emergency that needs care right away, which is why being able to get help quickly is so important. A medical alert device is a way to summon help; it is not a treatment, and any suspected heart attack or stroke needs emergency medical attention.
Why getting help quickly matters, and where medical alert fits
Getting help quickly can make a real difference. There is the immediate reassurance of knowing someone is coming. And there is the practical reality that when a serious underlying issue is involved, as clinicians put it, time is heart muscle and time is brain: the sooner a person gets emergency care, the better the odds.
This is where
medical alert
and fall detection
services can play a role. In my view, they can make a meaningful difference by helping someone get assistance faster, and I expect them to become a more common part of how we support older adults. No device prevents falls
or replaces emergency care, and fall detection may not detect every fall, so a help button remains an important part of staying protected. Think of it as one more layer in a safety net. There are fewer and fewer reasons not to have a way to call for help: a hiker in a remote area can now summon rescue with a satellite device, so it is reasonable to expect that someone at home should be able to get help when they need it.The confidence spiral families may not see coming
Falls can take a toll that is not physical. In my experience, after a fall people's confidence can take a real hit. They may stop trusting themselves or their surroundings and begin avoiding things, sometimes without noticing: certain vehicles, certain trips, certain rooms. There is simply less movement.
That is where it can become a cycle. If deconditioning played a part in the fall, then moving less may make it worse, because these functions of the body tend to work best when we use them. There is real truth to the old adage "use it or lose it." Less movement can accelerate the loss of muscle and coordination, and people sometimes stop keeping up with healthcare because it feels like too much, which can compound over time. Even the fear of falling, on its own, can start this cycle. If you notice this happening with a loved one, it is worth raising with a health professional.
The toll on caregivers, and the value of a plan
We talk a lot about the
"sandwich generation," people caring for aging parents while also raising children
. They carry a heavy load, and a parent who is falling can add real stress and worry, especially the fear of what happens if something goes wrong and they are not there to know about it.A plan can help. We make emergency plans for earthquakes, wildfires, and being stranded in a car; falls can be approached the same way. A helpful plan often sorts out, in advance, who to call for help and how, how the person would reach a doctor or nurse practitioner for an assessment, what to consider changing about the home (clearing clutter, rethinking stairs, looking honestly at the vehicles they use), and how they would call for help if they were down and could not reach a phone. Talking about it ahead of time can make an emergency far less frightening if it ever comes. Every family's situation is different, so adapt the plan to your own circumstances.
How to raise it without threatening their independence
Many families wait until after a fall to bring up safety, but by then everyone is stressed and the conversation is harder. It often helps to start earlier, when the person is relaxed and nothing has gone wrong, and to frame it honestly, because the goal is not to take away independence.
In fact, a plan can help protect independence. In my experience, what tends to disrupt someone's autonomy most is a fall or an unwitnessed medical event that leads to a hospital stay. A bit of planning can help a person keep doing what they love for longer. Knowing that help is available if it is ever needed can be freeing: people who feel secure often keep travelling, keep participating, and keep living their lives, rather than quietly shrinking their world out of fear. And it can ease the worry for family, too.
I have seen different outcomes in my own family, and every situation is different. When a relative fell backward and cracked several ribs at home, we did not write it off. We took a look at the layout of the home, realizing that a mix of carpets and hard flooring, and a coffee table just out of his sight-line, may have contributed to the fall. We also made sure that he was up-to-date on his visits with his family doctor and that we were not missing any new medical issues. After follow-up and rehabilitation, he recovered well. A different relative, by contrast, slipped on icy steps and broke her ankle, which prompted us to think about who would keep her walkway clear in winter. In hindsight, much of it was common sense we simply had not gotten to yet.
The bottom line
It is worth taking falls seriously. They may not make the news, but they are a common path to the hospital and can be an early step toward losing independence. If a loved one falls, consider looking into the cause with a health professional, have the conversation with your family early, before anything happens, and think through how a loved one would get help in an emergency. Especially for anyone who spends time alone, that may include considering a service or device that lets them summon help when they need it, alongside advice from their own care team.
Navigate life’s changes with more ease and confidence with TELUS Health Medical Alert.
FAQ
Why might an older adult keep falling?
Often because of several factors at once: loss of muscle and strength, changes in coordination and vision, heart-health changes, and a home that no longer suits the person's current mobility. Because it is rarely one cause, repeated falls can be worth discussing with a health professional rather than explaining away.
When might a fall be worth raising with a doctor?
A serious fall, one causing broken bones or an emergency visit, is a good reason to follow up. So are repeated minor falls, and falls that happen in a familiar, unchanged environment, which may suggest something about the person's health has shifted. A health professional can advise.
What should I do if I find a loved one who has fallen?
If they are unconscious, unresponsive, or may be seriously hurt, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Otherwise, help them stay calm, avoid rushing them to their feet, look for signs of injury, and seek medical advice if you are unsure. This is general guidance, not a substitute for first-aid training or professional care.
Why is time on the floor after a fall worth taking seriously?
Difficulty getting up can be a sign that something more is going on, and whatever contributed to the fall may still be happening while the person is down. Being able to get help quickly matters, which is why many families plan ahead for how a loved one would summon help.
How can I talk to a parent about safety without upsetting them?
It often helps to start early, before a fall, when things are calm, and to frame it as a way to support their independence rather than limit it. A plan can help a person stay active and autonomous for longer, which is usually what everyone wants.
Navigate life’s changes with more ease and confidence with TELUS Health Medical Alert.
Authored by:
Chief Mental Health Officer
Dr. Matthew Chow is Chief Mental Health Officer at TELUS Health and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.
