I'm 79. I can do all that. BUT my daughter and I were in England walking along the south side of the Thames. There was displaced cement on the sidewalk which neither of us saw...we tripped...and we went down hard on the sidewalk. She was 43 at the time and was able to get up. However, I was not in good shape; I was stunned; spent some time just on my back getting myself together; when I was ready to get up, she could not lift me (285#) and I couldn't help myself. Finally, some other American tourists behind us came along to help. Two guys who could hardly get me up, either. I have fallen (due to an ankle twist) in my neighborhood while walking for exercise (alone...and usually early in the morning). I could not get up....nothing to push against. I crawled down so that my knees were 6 or 8" below the curb...the idea was to push up against the curb...still didn't work. Finally, a guy stopped in his SUV...saw my plight...and came to help me up. But I am convinced that the greatest risk for people over 65 is falling (itself) but the 2nd greatest risk is having no way to get up because there is nothing to push against. Very frustrating.This doesn't happen often...but when it happens it seems impossible to self-correct.
I'm 50 and recently lost feeling in both legs. Cancer in the spine. I have fallen 6 times this month. My legs just crumple and down I go. So basically, I have only my arms to help me but the last few times I had to be helped. I try to pull myself up alone but it's dead weight!
Thanks Eric and great to see you have covered this vital point .I scoot over to my bed and lever myself up as if it were a stair .If neaer the living room do same only to the sofa .So glad you covered it .Thanks and once again for your very calm approach ...Great video 👍 Best wishes , Helena🌻
A few weeks ago my office chair base broke and I fell out. I remember reading about stairs, so I boot scooted outnthe patio door where we have stairs and got my legs down about 3 steps and was then able to stand up using the railing. Stairs are such a big help. As an alternative I would suggest installing a whole series of steel grip bars so you can use your arms to help pull yourself up.
Great video! Mom fell today and I had to call the cousins to help lift her back to her feet. We had steps just five feet away! This top-down stair technique would have helped her help herself. Hopefully there isn't a next time, but if there is, I think you've provided the solution. Thank you!!
Hi Eric, this video was good for those who have stairs. I haven't gone through all your videos (I am new to the channel) but do you have videos on getting off the floor, for example, half kneel, or pushing down on a chair seat to lift the body up to the seat, then pushing off on the arms and getting up. (is that clear?) Also, do you have exercises that strengthen the femur muscles and the knees? Either way, I have many exercises videos to watch so let me begin there, my question may be answered over time. Thank you again.
How do you get off the ground on level ground -- where there are no stairs? Anyone having knee-pain issues, has a difficult time rising up, for me it happens when I do my "namaz" prayers. In many a mosque, one may come across people who have to offer their "salaat" sitting on chairs, due to this issue.
Omg!!!! Thank you💖💖💖 I had double knee replacement about 2 years ago. We are at the beach this week and a sat down in the sand. Well, I couldn’t get back up because my knees are very sensitive still. I was so embarrassed and tried many different ways to get up. Ultimately I needed 2 men help me up. I looked like a beach whale😳😳😳 Now I know……
Had a double knee replacement a long time ago and can't kneel. The other night I fell and my husband tried everything to help me get up, finally used a small Stool and from there he was able to get me up. Falling is not fun😢 if you can't kneel it's worse add a shoulder replacement and ankle fusion it makes things even worse. It took 45 minutes but we finally managed without calling 911.
If you don;t have stairs, you can scoot over to a piece of furniture. Put your back to the furniture, get your elbows on the furniture, and push up with your feet.
Pull the cushions off the sofa or a chair. Scoot onto the cushion then back up to scoot/lift on to the sofa or chair. I have also used a child’s play mat, folded next to a futon to scoot/lift onto the futon. IMPORTANT: if you suspect anything is broken - do not try to get up, or let anyone help you get up. Call 911. If you just cannot get up no matter what, call the non-emergency police number for your area. They have a team of people (usually firefighters) who can help assess you & lift you off the floor. Ask for “lift and assist.”
I took a terrible fall in the driveway. Fell heavily onto both knees( one TKR) and my wrist, hip. My spouse is disabled. The pain was excruciating in the knees even with access to a padded blanket and a bed pillow. Applied an ice pad for 30 min to left knee then shimmy over to chair. Grabbed the back of the SUV, grabbed the grounded chair ( spouse anchored the chair by sitting in it) and finally was able to kneel on that bad knee because now it was numb from the ice. So after 75 minutes, got up. Having xray of left leg because we think something is chipped off.
At last someone who realises we may not have knees to get up off floor. I woke up in my hallway (obviously got up for bathroom) wobbly legs, then going from side to side hitting walls. I felt I had nothing below my knees but fell quickly onto them, then feet shot out pulling knees backwards and hit the floor chest on as also had frozen shoulder so only one hand to break fall. Both knees bleeding and when I tried to roll over I kept going in opposite direction? Five hours later I'd shuffled to bedroom to get key and telephone, tried using stairs to pull myself up etc. No good but managed to get key inserted and called paramedics. At least your video shows I tried everything. A week later same thing and ended up in hospital with UTI and sepsis. Am now thinking of purchasing some sort of lifting aid as my daughter had 4 falls in one day so we need to be prepared.
Fell in garden, can’t use knees, dragged myself on my elbows (on gravel) to car but couldn’t grip anything helpful. Dragged myself to front door which was open but again couldn’t find anything to grip to haul myself up, dragged myself on elbows still to sofa. Couldn’t lift myself up as not strong enough, dragged cushion off and wriggled on to it. Then still couldn’t lift myself up far enough. Leaned backwards stiff as a board until shoulder blades on sofa and slowly worked my way onto sofa. Raw elbows- but sitting up at last. Took 45 painful minutes, what would I have done if front door had been closed? No passers by!
My friend fell in her home. But she did not have the upper body strength to scoot to a chair or bed. She laid for 5 hrs. So I’m not sure these techniques are appropriate for someone like her.
About two years ago when I was 69 I fell in my house. I could not reach my cell phone. I live alone and it was about 40 hours before someone came to check on me when I did not show up for a family event. I was hallucinating by that time. I was in the hospital for three nights. Then in a convalescent center for 30 days. I am still pretty weak. I learned 1) always make sure to keep my cell phone within reach from the floor in case I fall, and I have fallen many times 2) how to stack up couch pillows so I can crawl onto them to get myself higher so I can get my legs under me and 3) how to do balance and mobility exercises.
I am not falling as often as I used to so my balance must be better. I am also working on building my strength. The real problem is that I cannot stand up from the floor. In the meantime I have figured how to use thick couch pillows to raise my body up and pull my upper body up into a chair so I can get my legs under me, Once I build up my strength I should be able to get up from the floor normally.@@EricDaw1
Hi, Do u have a suggestion for me. In the mornings I can't straighten my back. I get off the bed bent. Hurts like hell to try & straighten up. I do some stretches & start walking. After some time walking I can begin to straighten. During the day I walk tall, but I have chronic pain in my lower back. What do u say?
First I think you need to talk to your doctor or physio therapist. However you may find doing some gentle Pilates exercises on your bed helps, for example start with some leg movements before getting up. I find moving my legs and then arms starts to ease my back. Good luck.
Eric you seem like a lovely and caring guy. But especially as your videos are aimed at older people maybe change the name. The Final solution, Was the Nazis manifesto in WW2 and still remembered by many.
It's not useless at all. It's helped so many people and could help you as well if you thought about it in a positive way. You can improvise stairs easily w couch pillows, books & other household items we all have. Leave the negativity on the floor... and make you some stairs! Lol.
