Care Playbook
My Parent Had a Fall - What Now?
Use this playbook to check immediate safety, document what happened, decide who to call, and update the care plan after a fall or near-fall.
Use as a working checklist. Complete what is useful now and return when the situation changes.
Important safety note
If the person is seriously injured, confused, unconscious, having trouble breathing, having chest pain, unable to move normally, bleeding heavily, showing stroke-like symptoms, or you are unsure whether this is an emergency, call emergency services now.
This playbook does not diagnose injuries or replace medical care.
Who this playbook is for
- Family caregivers responding to a fall or near-fall.
- Long-distance family members who need a clear follow-up plan.
- Caregivers deciding whether home safety, supervision, or care needs changed.
Common triggers
Quick situation intake
These answers personalize the callouts and summary. They do not block access to the playbook.
What to do now
What to do in the next 24 hours
What to do this week
What to document
These fields feed the shareable Family Care Plan Summary.
Who to call
Emergency services
Call when
Call for serious injury, head injury, new confusion, severe pain, breathing trouble, chest pain, stroke-like symptoms, heavy bleeding, or immediate danger.
What to prepare
Location, what happened, current symptoms, medications, and whether they hit their head.
Doctor or nurse line
Call when
Call when the fall does not appear immediately life-threatening, but there is pain, dizziness, new weakness, repeated falls, medication changes, or a meaningful change from baseline.
What to say
Normally, they can ____. After the fall, they can/cannot ____. The fall happened at ____. They did/did not hit their head. We noticed ____. What level of care should we seek?
Facility
Call when
Call when the person lives in assisted living, memory care, nursing home, or rehab.
What to say
Can you document the fall, tell us what happened, explain what follow-up is planned, and update the care plan if fall risk has changed?
Home care agency
Call when
Call when a paid caregiver was present, should have been present, or the fall suggests the schedule needs adjustment.
What to prepare
Fall time, caregiver schedule, care plan tasks, and what support may need to change.
Escalation triggers
- If there is another fall in 30 days, reassess living alone.
- If bathroom falls continue, add bathroom support or paid care.
- If nighttime falls happen, create an overnight safety plan.
Set a suggested review date
7 days, or sooner if symptoms change
Suggested review date: June 3, 2026
Generate care summary
Fall Follow-Up Summary
Send the intake, documentation, checked actions, recommended tools, questions, and review date to the Family Care Plan Summary.
Kefiw Fall Follow-Up Summary Date created: May 27, 2026 Suggested review date: June 3, 2026 Situation intake Was this a fall or a near-fall?: Not entered Is there immediate danger or serious injury?: Not entered Did they hit their head or have possible head, neck, or spine injury?: Not entered Are they newly confused, unusually sleepy, or not acting like themselves?: Not entered Can they move as they normally do?: Not entered Where did it happen?: Not entered When did it happen?: Not entered Has this happened before in the past 30 days?: Not entered Documentation Date of fall or near-fall: Not entered Time: Not entered Location: Not entered What were they doing?: Not entered Injury or symptoms noticed: Not entered Who was notified?: Not entered Follow-up needed: Not entered Completed actions None checked yet Recommended next steps - Use Care Urgency Check if symptoms are new, severe, worsening, or uncertain. - Fill out the Fall and Near-Fall Log. - Review the fall location with the Home Safety Checklist. - Start the Care Needs Checklist this week. - Set a suggested review date in 7 days, or sooner if symptoms change. Questions to ask - Could medications, dizziness, weakness, or infection have contributed to the fall? - What symptoms should trigger urgent or emergency help? - Does the care plan need more supervision, mobility help, or bathroom support? Recommended Kefiw tools - Care Urgency Check: Organize urgent versus prompt care questions. - Fall and Near-Fall Log: Document the event and find patterns. - Home Safety Checklist: Review the exact place the fall happened. - Care Needs Checklist: Reassess mobility, supervision, bathroom safety, and family workload. - Caregiver Hours Calculator: Estimate added care workload after the fall. Family script We are not tracking this fall to blame anyone. We need to understand what happened, what changed, and what support would make the next fall less likely.
You have a starting plan.
You documented what happened, identified the next care steps, and selected tools to continue planning.
Related guides
Review and scope
Recommended reviewer type: Clinician, Physical therapist, Occupational therapist, Patient safety reviewer. Last reviewed: April 30, 2026. Next scheduled review: annual update cycle or sooner when guidance changes.
Kefiw provides educational care-planning tools and guides. This playbook helps families organize decisions, estimate needs, prepare questions, and identify next steps. It does not replace medical, legal, tax, financial, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or emergency guidance. For urgent medical concerns or immediate danger, call emergency services.