The Elderly Faller.

Older adults who fall can look deceptively well at first glance. This tool is designed to help paramedics and prehospital clinicians think through the real decision on scene: is this a safe stay-at-home patient, or does the overall picture point towards conveyance or escalation? It prompts you to consider injury, hidden medical cause, frailty, cognition, home safety, capacity, and follow-up, while also helping you build clearer, more defensible documentation.

Falls in the Elderly: Conveyance vs Stay Decision Aid

A practical prehospital support tool for older adults after a fall. Designed to help assess red flags, head injury risk, hidden medical cause, frailty, cognition, home safety, follow-up needs, and the wording you may need for a safer PCR entry.

Red flags 0
Medical cause concerns 0
Head injury concerns 0
Home safety concerns 0
Patient Details
Step 1: Immediate Conveyance Triggers
A single significant red flag should usually push the outcome away from routine stay at home.
Step 2: Was This a Mechanical Fall or a Medical Fall?
Step 3: Head Injury Mini-Branch
Use this even when the patient appears well
This branch is not a replacement for guideline-based head injury assessment. It is here to stop crews downplaying head injury risk in older adults.
Step 4: Frailty, Cognition, Function, and Injury Screen
Step 5: Observations, Capacity, and Home Safety
Additional Notes

Key Decision Points

    Recommended Actions

      Follow-Up and Escalation

        Safety Netting

          Suggested PCR Wording

          This tool is decision support only. It does not replace local policy, senior advice, guideline-based head injury assessment, or clinical judgement.