Do you have a set of crutches in the house? You can't lift him, but he should be able to lift himself with the help of crutches. Does he have a walker?

I have two padded garden kneelers and a full size hospital type grab bar safety frame in my 700sf apt. There is nowhere that I cannot either grab onto a sturdy piece of furniture or get to one of the kneelers/grab bar and help myself up.

I agree with Lucille. The garden kneelers can be a life saver. I have gotten in a few tough spots outside where I could not get up because of injuries, mu garden kneelers have saved the day.

When my husband would fall in the beginning of Alzheimer's, I would place a dining room chair by him then I would get down on the floor and show him how to place his hands on the chair to support himself and with me helping, he was able to get up. With your husband, it would give him some support without you having to do it all.

I didn't know there was such a thing , Maifluer . That's good to know ! He can't kneel on his knees to get up - that's the problem ! We have an old walker for him - I keep yelling at him to use it !! My town has an awesome police department - I bet they would come if I called them. Thank you for suggesting it !

My friend Judy called the fire-department ever so often, to get help when she could not get up. Mind you, Judy was very overweight and out of shape.

Finally the fire-department said no more.

Judy's daughter put her in a nursing home at that time. I hope, you can find a solution before it gets to such a place.

Moni

If it is possible to have on hand a supply of firm mats or small mattresses here is what I would try. Have him roll over onto a mat, say a mattress from a baby crib. Once he is there, have him roll over onto a stack of two mattresses which are pushed up next to the first. Next roll to a stack of three. Maybe you have to use cushions from all your living room furniture. At some point, instead of rolling onto mattresses / mats, you could get him to sit up, then wedge smaller pillows or even books under his bum to get him higher, his knees less bent. The aim would to be to get him high enough that he can then get up as though getting out of bed or up from a sofa he has been reclining on. At some point

There are also such things as patient hoists that might help. I don't know whether they can help get someone all the way up from the floor.

This is an excellent question. I think there could be a high chance of injuring both yourself and him if things don't go well. People take training to learn these things and medical people still sometimes get hurt doing it.

When I was taking care of my Dad, I had to call the city rescue services once when I could not get him up.

I have a bad back and have a terrible time getting up off the floor. Those garden kneelers are great, it's the only way that I can get down and pull weeds or get way back in a lower kitchen cabinet or scrub the floor in the shower and get back up again. They are in the garden section at Lowes or Home Depot or you can get them online. If he can crawl he can reach it and help himself up in a pinch. They can also be flipped upside down and used as occasional seating. I keep one on the front porch as a small bench and the other one as a side table beside my rocking chair.

This item is super expensive, but maybe you could find a way for it to be covered under insurance.

https://www.rehabmart.com/product/camel-inflatable-patient-lift1-15854.html

can you practice before a fall happens? Will he kneel next to the bed or sturdy chair and use that to try to get up?

If he does fall, do not hesitate to call 911. You will not be the first people they have come to help.

As long as he has one knee that is not totally bad he can use it to get up. I drag myself to the couch or recliners, substantial furniture, use the good knee and lift up so my upper body is laying on the couch. Rest a little, then with the good knee and my arms and upper body use the couch to get myself up and throw myself onto the couch. I prefer the couch because there's more room. Have him start working on it. It's possible. You should not try to lift him that's not the right thing to do. It can hurt both of you. Putting pillows under the knees could be helpful.

Does he need to wait for the VA? It sounds like a problem needing attention, not needing a wait. No medical insurance or Medicare?

You all had such good suggestions and advice - I knew this was the place to ask ! Thank you .

Suddenly ..... I feel like DH & I just " got old " . It snuck up on us ! I never thought I'd have to worry about falling for a long time yet. I guess it's bound to happen sooner or later !

I had a friend that works for the local ambulance group. Her suggestion was to always use the nonemergency number if the person only needs to get up. Here at least if you call 911 they must immediately come with lights and sirens which could prevent them from attending a more severe medical problem. You may have to wait a little but here they came within 30 minutes.

I'm youngish but I have horrible knees and I always have. I rely on my arms to get me up. Pulling up on furniture or pushing myself up until I can use my leg strength to completely stand.

Of course, since my knees are cr@p, I don't purposefully get on the floor where it will be more difficult to get up. Thankfully, I haven't had to worry about falls yet.

But, if someone weren't in the habit of using their arms for "heavier" lifting, strengthening those muscles so you CAN use a nearby chair, couch, whatever to get up might be useful.

I agree with calling 911. My dad had a progressive disease that weakened his arms and legs. He fell numerous times, and had no strength to get up. He called 911 and they would send two people. They also would do a vitals check and generally make sure he wasn't injured.

Our county has the subscription service to cover ambulance rides, and Dad always gave way more than the minimum.

No idea but wondering if it's just one leg that's bad, if a pet ramp would be strong enough to hold him and could help...if he could get to a sitting position at the bottom of the ramp and use his good leg to help work his butt up the ramp to get onto a sofa.

I would suggest getting in touch with a good home health care facility. They may be able to demonstrate how to handle this situation and offer some good suggestions. I know there is a way to use your arms and his arms situated in a certain position which will mimic a "lever" and is very helpful. If nothing else check with your local senior center for advice.

Lots of good suggestions here. Call or stop in at your local Sheriff or fire department to ask the best way to get help in such a situation without taking away from urgent emergencies. (Of course if he is injured, you would just call 911.) It will give you peace of mind to know you have a plan. Write the number down and stick it up somewhere so you don’t have to look for it. I hope it doesn’t happen.

What a shame to have to wait for medical care at the VA. When’s the appointment?

I saw a video once of how to get up without using your knees, first get yourself into a sitting position on the floor and move towards the nearest chair or sofa by leaning on one haunch (behind) and then the other and inching along with rocking forward and sideways. It's easy to do. Then when you get to the couch pull off a cushion and wiggle on to it or take a book and slide it under your tush, one on either side. There were many ways they showed and they all were successful.

This is great, thanks all. I have fallen twice and had to have help. Dh the last time.

Apt with RA in two weeks. Making a note to ask them for advice on how to get up for sure it will happen again.

I've use the following method myself. This is called the feldenkrais method. If your back is involved in the injury at all be very careful that you very gently go forward before you straighten up and straighten up slowly. Also don't go too far forward because for some people that hurts.

https://youtu.be/cDURAYq15CI

This video that I found gave an interesting technique for getting up if you have body strength at all.

https://youtu.be/UJZgMS_HutE

This video does not help with someone who has bad knees but thought it was an interesting series about helping people to get up from the floor and chairs.

https://youtu.be/10jR0zjl19Y

When I was considering surgery, I asked my orthopedist to show me the best way to get up from the floor or ground (as in gardening) and he got down on the floor and showed me. I practiced. I'm not sure where your husbands strong points are or what physical shape he is in, but I would want him to ask the doctor when he's seen for the best method for him. He really should know, no good could come from both of you being hurt with you trying to help him.

DH has fallen several times. I bring an arm chair over and anchor it by strongly holding it or sitting in it so he can pull himself up. He, too, is about 6" 250 lbs.

I just looked at some of the videos yeonassky shared. Some really helpful ideas there. I plan to look at them again when I am not distracted by basketball.

Yeonassky's second video is one method I employ. Another is to have a sofa or chair behind me, put my hands on it and push up until I can sit on the furniture.

It does require upper body and core strength but those are both helpful and useful in every day life and should be encouraged for everybody, regardless of mobility issues.

A word of caution about lifting yourself from the floor onto a sofa or a chair. Unless that sofa or chair is heavy or pushed tightly against a wall pushing down on the edge of it can bring it over on top of you. If your legs are outstretched you could end up bruising them or worse.

Just found another very interesting video. The woman shows different ways to help yourself if you fall and need to get back up.

https://youtu.be/4ETgQD8QhZs

yeonassky, that's a very interesting video...some good ideas there. But so much depends on if and how one is injured in the fall. Or like my grandmother who fell because her hip broke, not broke the hip in the fall. But I like the efforts and attempts to do what one can with what one has at hand to rescue themselves.

I need to watch that video. I have fallen a lot....usually slipping down in mud, feeding the horses, but I slipped and fell one time in the supermarket. Someone had dropped a jar of pickles and it hadn't been cleaned up yet and I didn't see it. It was really embarrassing, because a couple of people rushed to help me up. But the only way I can get up is to roll over on my belly and push up with my arms, and then "walk" up my legs. I have good upper body strength still, but having to get up off the floor, in public, with my rear end in the air....not fun.

I have reached the stage in gardening that when I sit down on the ground to pull weeds from under larger plants I have to use Marilyn_c's method with a modification because of damage to my wrists. I roll over and place my elbows and knees on the ground then do a walkup. While some of the videos might work for someone with strong muscles few would be anything other than frustrating to older people who are weaker. I have always wished that someone would publish videos of older people using these methods rather than someone much much younger.

I broke my knee years ago so if I get down on the floor I have a difficult time getting up, I try my best using my better knee and pulling my self up with the help of a piece of furniture. When my sister was staying here before she passed away she would walk to the washroom with her oxygen hose which she would trip over and fall despite my telling her she didn't need the oxygen for the short distance. My sister was 5'11 and heavy and when I tried helping her get up I hurt my back ( After 2 years I am just starting to feel less lower back pain) She wanted to get back up on her own so I would push the ottoman over to her so she could use it to get up. Other times I would have to call the EMTs to come and get her up. I never wanted to bother them but they told me to call for help.

If you can get yourself to a stairway, down is best, (up more work but still maybe ok one step at a time) you can get feet lower than butt and stand up. Did that myself recently.

I broke the tip of my tibia nearly two years ago, and until recently, it has been difficult to get up from sitting or kneeling on the floor. During the two years that I was healing, I found that it was much easier for me to push myself up using my hands and arms rather than trying to pull myself up. I feel like it's a safer way of getting up as well as I'm not pulling on something that might give way or fall over. Of course, for those with arm/wrist/hand weakness pushing most likely wouldn't work, but it's an option to consider for those who don't have arm or hand problems.

Hope you don't mind I found another one. This one has seniors in it so I thought it might be of interest

https://youtu.be/Snb_1xZi5v0

Several weeks ago, my neighbor Lisa brought my neighbor Joanne's dog to my house and asked me if I knew where he lived.

I thought it was odd, because I have lived here about eight years, and Rusty has never let me get my hands on him, yet he had gone straight to this lady's garage sale, walked up to her, and let her put a leash on him. I walked with her to Joanne's house. We were just about to knock, when we heard someone calling. Jo-Ann, who had just had both knees replaced, had tripped over an old fence lying on the ground at rhr edge of the lot next door to her house. Although this is in town, she lived on a 1/2 acre lot with a vacant lot next door,so there was no one within shouting distance. When she began to fall, she braced herself with one hand and hit the ground with all her weight on that hand, breaking her wrist. She was unable to get up. Her dog Rusty had gone to get the neighbor! Moral to my story is... keep your phone in your pocket!

Every post here is so helpful to me - thank you everyone ! DH's knee is so swollen and painful . The VA is sending him to physical therapy. He can't even move it without pain . I don't know why he couldn't get in to see a doc and maybe get a shot or drain fluid . I'm so mad ..... but I'm going to stay positive and hope this helps. PS --- Those videos are wonderful ! I can't wait to show dh !

Have they not considered doing a total knee replacement for him? I had one 5 years ago and it totally improved my life. My knee was constantly swollen and my leg had become bowed. I had no idea they would even straighten my leg, but they did. I was sent to PT and had shots in it...a waste of time and resources. It was bone on bone to the extent it had worn grooves in my bone. Nothing short of a TKR would help me. I climb stairs now, can walk forever and don't have to take pain meds just to function.

They won't even let him see a doctor to evaluate him ! He has 6 PT appointments . Funny thing is .... he can barely walk and he has to go through this huge VA building to get to therapy . After all that walking , the next few days are super painful. Marilyn , my friend had knee replacements (hers was bone on bone,too ) it worked wonders for her !

We were told by my husband's doctor that PT is always tried first before surgery which is probably why your husband and others have to do it even when it is clear they need replacement. A side effect of the PT however is that it will strengthen the muscles that will need to heal after the surgery. A suggestion is to see if there is a wheelchair available for you to wheel him into his PT.

I hope he can see a doctor soon. I did extremely well after my surgery. I had 90 degree bend when I left the hospital, 3 days later. I had pretty good muscle tone, because despite being in pain, I still took care of all my horses and other animals. I was dependent on pain pills though, but once I had surgery and finished PT for that, I was able to quit them.

My husband fell getting out of a chair. He was flat on the tile floor. I couldn't lift him and he thought he might have broken his hip. I called the police. They came and got him up. Luckily, no bones broken.

I would call the police and they will help you. Don't try to lift anyone. You'll be the one to get injured.

Jane

This thread is a reminder that we all, at any age, will benefit from weight training to strengthen our muscles. Plenty of videos out there, and programs at community centers if you have one. They don't have to be heavy weights either -- a beginner can benefit from lifting soup cans! There are even videos of exercise routines done seated in a chair, for those who cannot stand.

Hubby was in a wheelchair in his last few weeks of his life. I was putting him to bed, if a home-care helper was unavailable.

One time he slipped and slid off the wheelchair onto the floor. His lower body was immobile. I tried to lift him and couldn't......just dead weight.

I called 9-1-1 and asked if this was anything that they could help with. I said I wasn't sure what their services covered. They said, absolutely.

They came, and lifted him up off the floor and onto the bed. I was so grateful!!!