Calling out the Ambulance

[**bustysbargains**]

Good evening.
I've been involved in a debate on another platform about whether or not an ambulance should be called out as a matter of course to any elderly person who has a fall outside.

Some say no, make assessment as to whether it is necessary first and others say most definitely yes as you never know what injuries there could be which are not apparent at first.

My opinion is very much in the minority and I was wondering, as many of you are senior citizens here what your opinions and reasons for them are so I can decide whether my opinion should change.

Thanking you in advance.

[right-then-petal]

Yes Call

[1956glyn]

Hi

I  would say yes. 

Sorry but unless one is properly medically qualified my opinion is that they are not in a position to make such an assessment.  

Leave it to the professionals.....the paramedics to make the decision as to whether they need to go to hospital.

Whether some elderly folk will actually agree to go to hospital is another debate.

[1956glyn]

I fear i am having another blonde moment.  You a yes or no?

Just to add my ex husband was indeed a paramedic and i know he would definitely say YES

[geosacha007]

I've had personal experience of this recently through my dad and mum. 

My 88 year old dad had a fall outside his own house a few months ago.  He was picked up by a passer by who really wanted to call an ambulance but he refused.  He was OK on that occasion and it was not necessary. 

He and my mum (91 yrs) were both picked up by a neighbour after falling on their drive a few months before that.  Both were fine and no ambulance needed.

But last week he fell in the locked house and could not get up.  The phone fell wth him so he called 999.  He was in a terrible state, barely able to stand before he fell.  He'd been taken to hospital by ambulance but discharged, not admitted, the previous day  He wasn't considered an emergency and the ambulance came after 4 hours.  He's now been in hospital for nearly 3 weeks and stll cannot stand unaided. 

So I'd say you don't always need to call an ambulance after a fall.  You should assess the circumstances. It would have been clear that an ambulance was needed on the third occasion. And if there is doubt then yes call one.  But if the person who fell is certain they are OK and preferably if they won't be alone then no need.

[cee-dee]

In cases like these, often it's a matter of not being able to do right from wrong.

Whatever you do, someone will say you should have done the opposite.

I'd tend to play safe.

[suzieseaside]

I would say yes, call 999, unless the person who fell insists they are ok, can get up, and absolutely doesn't want you to call. I'm sure that the paramedics would agree.

I have had to call them a few times for a friend this year who had MSA, a rare neurological and terminal illness where degeneration of nerve cells in areas of the brain causes loss of blood pressure control and hence balance, also movement and speech problems among other physical difficulties. He died sadly just two weeks ago, but fortunately in his sleep.

He had several falls, increasing in frequency over the last year, one of the worst getting jammed behind the toilet. I phoned the ambulance but as often occurs in my area there was no-one available and it can take hours for an ambulance to arrive. It was a huge struggle to get him up as it has been on other occasions after a bathroom fall but sometimes I was able to get hold of a stronger male friend to come and help.

Reasons for a fall may not be obvious so medical attention should be sought if in any doubt at all. Once my friend fell and when the ambulance did arrive on that occasion they found his oxygen levels seriously low due to a lung infection / pneumonia. He had to go to hospital for a while and if the paramedics hadn't come that time he may well have not lived for the few extra months that he did.

[upthecreekyetagain]

I guess a lot depends on what you mean by elderly - is 70 elderly?

If someone falls but can get up on their own or with minimal assistance then I would say it is up to them whether or not they want medical attention and if so how to go about getting that help.

On the other hand if someone falls and can't regain their feet then I would call for assistance, irrespective of their age. 

Not sure that age in itself plays a part on when to call an ambulance.

[**bustysbargains**]

Thank you posters.

I was in the minority with my opinion which was Very much a yes to calling an ambulance for the elderly.

As I have a the same opinion posted here from others I feel the same.

---

@upthecreekyetagain wrote:

I guess a lot depends on what you mean by elderly - is 70 elderly?

If someone falls but can get up on their own or with minimal assistance then I would say it is up to them whether or not they want medical attention and if so how to go about getting that help.

On the other hand if someone falls and can't regain their feet then I would call for assistance, irrespective of their age. 

Not sure that age in itself plays a part on when to call an ambulance.

---

I personally call anyone over the age of 70 elderly, but hoping I am not offending anyone as I know that even older persons can be as fit as fiddle.

I was always taught, and especially by my father who was St Johns ambulance trained that you don't take risks with the elderly or babies and calling an ambulance is being better safe than sorry.

In the case of the elderly the reason for it was that there could  very well  be health problems not apparent at the time of the fall that moving the person could cause more injury etc.

I put my point of view on this other platform and found that there were hardly anyone in agreement with me. I don't believe I could take a risk with any elderly persons health and safety and even it I thought my judgement to be correct, as there maybe circumstances I might not be aware of I would always err on the side of caution.

Of course even with other members of the public if doubt makes me feel an ambulance was needed then I'd call for one.

Thank you all as I do feel even if there is not a specific right and wrong I am sure  my opinion is good.

[upthecreekyetagain]

I understand where you are coming from but in my case, (yes, I am over 70!), the ambulance would be constantly being called!

Working with horses, climbing over/through fences, out in all weather, I'm constantly falling over!  Just recently I was knocked out cold when, rather foolishly, I bent down to pick up an empty feed bucket and Posh, (one of our horses), rapidly lowered her head onto mine to see what I was doing.

If you spoke to anyone who knows me they'd tell you I'm unbelievably clumsy - tripped over a curb in the Tesco car park yesterday because I wasn't looking where I was going 

About 20 years ago my arm started to go numb and it wasn't until I had an MRI that the cause was discovered - I'd broken a vertebrae in my neck that healed itself but the bone growth around the break was compressing the spinal cord.  Not sure how I originally broke it but maybe that was an occasion when an ambulance should have benn called.

[**bustysbargains**]

I have a son that sounds very much like you creeky, so I'll bare that in mind for when he gets older. 😂clumbsy should have been his middle name. 🙁

[mustard-tree]

All these labels are relative.

I am 71 in February and though disabled I dont consider myself to be elderly, but someone in their 20s or 30s would think differently.

[1956glyn]

Awww those in their 20s think anyone over about 40 is ancient lol   My sons 29 and he thinks 50 is really old 😞

If anyone asks my age i ask them which one do they want.....my bodily age or mental age which is much younger.

[dark_castle1]

Bodily age is what society wants us to conform to but I say lets all be nonconfirsts and be our mental age or whatever damn age we want to be !  

[right-then-petal]

[ruby*tuesday]

Yes indeed, we are all different. My hubby will be 71 in a few weeks (January) but still runs his own Consultancy Business, mainly from home, but he does have to attend high powered Meetings a few hundred miles away, a couple of times a month. He is phenomenal really, still as mentally sharp as he was 20 years ago.

[vamo48]

I'm 71 too and don't consider myself to be elderly, but I've met people ten or more years younger who think they're old.  It depends on the person.  I don't have parents living, but could have in theory, so would think they were elderly.  I remember being 11 and thinking the school head girl was incredibly old - she was 19!

Ambulances should be called for anyone who appears to need one regardless of age.  If you've called one unnecessarily, that's better than not calling one and finding out later you should have.

[mhbt32again]

I was 75 a few weeks back, and don't really consider myself elderly as I am generally fairly fit.

However I have younger friends who are physically in far worse physical shape than me, so I consider myself lucky.

I think each case should be considered on its merits.

If the person who has fallen seems to be OK and can get up again and seems to be compis mentis, then there is probably no need for an ambulance.

On the other hand there have been reported cases of elderly people falling on the pavement, and in one case the daughter claimed to be a nurse, but left her mother on the pavement whilst waiting 3 hours for the ambulance, as she did not want to move her mother in case there was hidden injuries.  The poor woman died, presumably of hypothermia, whilst her only injury was a sprained wrist! 

My view there is that if you are able to make an assessment that there is little apparent damage elsewhere, then get the elderly person inside to wait for the ambulance if at all possible, rather than let the person die on the pavement due to hypothermia!

[bankhaunter]

I had given my downstairs neighbour my phone number, she had fallen a couple of times and needed helping up.

On the last occasion apparently her daily helpers had locked her phone and she didn't know how to unlock it so had to bang on the ceiling with her stick.

There was no way I could get her up, she was too heavy so had to call an ambulance, a pneumatic hoist device was used to lift her and then they got her into bed.

They wanted to take her to hospital but she wanted a cigarette, there was no way I was going to leave her smoking in bed, she was too dozy so stayed until she was finished. (left 4.00 am. )

She did go into hospital a few days later and died shortly after that.