Any tips, tools, or products to help lift a 94-year-old, 130 lb. grandparent who has fallen?

call 911 they help lift

I know this sounds crazy, but, I had the same issue with my mother, who weighed quite a bit more. She saw something on TV that she wanted, we got it, and it worked! It's called the Liberty Lift. It's just a piece of plastic with handles, but it worked! You hang on to one end, they hang on to the other, and poof, she was right up. We were beginning to call the fire dept a little too often. I know they sell them at Ollie's Bargain outlet, and I know you can order it on line. About 20$ and you might be surprised. Good luck!

Your mother should not even be attempting to lift your grandfather from the floor. Dangerous for him and for her.

#1 check he isn't hurt
#2 reassure him and allow him to recover - don't let him panic and be in too much of a hurry to get up again
#3 prompt him verbally to move himself into a sitting position, and then rest for a minute or two. If he can get himself onto all fours, so much the better.
#4 from there, see if he is able to move himself to a sturdy piece of furniture with a flat surface (by crawling or bottom-shuffling, for example) and pull himself up to his knees, onto one foot, onto both feet and sit - you can guide his hips onto the bed or place a chair ready for him - there are plenty of YouTube videos showing how.

Do not pull on any bits of him, do not hold him round the waist and yank at him, do not use any physical strength to assist him. As he begins to rise, you can place your hands to support his balance and to prevent him coming into contact with any corners or edges on his way up.

If he can't get himself up after one or two attempts, call 911 or your local falls response team (these are gaining in popularity - it's a waste of resources to send a full paramedic team out to a straightforward fall with no injuries).

There are falls cushions commercially available, but a) these are not cheap and b) it would be best to get some training in how to use them properly.

But whatever happens - you Do Not Lift.

Your mother is going to seriously injure herself if she keeps trying to get dad back up off the floor.

Back injuries are no joke and she may find herself imobile and in a lot of excruciating pain. Not to mention long term damage to her back down the road.

The only safe way for her and him is to call and have the paramedics get him back up.

Simply put it isn’t safe for the fallen person or the person trying to do the lifting to pick someone up, there’s a danger of injury to both. My dad had many falls, was also dead weight. We quickly learned to rely on calling 911 for help. Trained professionals with enough help safely got him back up and assessed if he was injured. There was never a charge and dad was always treated with kindness. This is the only safe route for all involved

I’m sure that other USA posters will tell you all about Hoyer Lifts. There are also many videos about how to get someone up from the floor if they can help a bit – bring a chair over, they get onto their hands and knees, then you put props under the bum, up by stages. That’s not a good description, and it may not work with Grandpa, but worth a look.

What may work better is to leave him on the floor (a pillow and a blanket for comfort) until someone is available to help. Your mother shouldn't be trying to pick him up. Three or four hours lying on the floor won’t do him any harm, and may help him to change his mind about the commode versus walking from the bed to the bathroom. ‘Stubborn’ may not be ‘stupid’.

She needs help. He needs help. She can no longer do this alone. If this continues she will hurt herself and/or him. In that instance the problem is compounded. Other arrangements need to be made now.

You call 911. They send out a bunch of hunky firemen who are happy to pick him up and plop him back in bed.

He needs to be in a wheelchair if he has no strength left in his legs.