Hubby fell in the bathroom yesterday. EMTs on scene FAST. Y-NH hospital staff read to receive and

[CTyankee]

give emergency care.

It was a scary, bloody scene finding him lying on the bathroom floor bleeding profusely. But everyone was just wonderful. He's home and good and going to our Primary Care doc when time to get his stitches out.

These people know what they are doing. And every test was explained. We got EMS transport home and hubby was taken up to bed upstairs. My house cleaner is coming today to clean up the blood and do whatever I need done so I can devote myself to caring for him.

What a relief! Another reason to be glad I live in a blue state where health care is taken seriously and excellent care is provided.

[FM123]

1. Oh my goodness!

I am so sorry what you and dear hubby had to go through! So glad you got the health care that you needed, hope he will be on the mend and back home soon.

[CTyankee]

6. He is home and is fine.

[a kennedy]

2. Damn CT, happy he's doing ok, and great service by EMT's and hospital staff.

[MontanaMama]

3. Oh my gosh!

I’m happy you both are okay…that’s a lot to go through. It sounds like you have a good house cleaner. How wonderful.

[CTyankee]

9. She's a trooper. I told her about all the blood but she said she'd take care of it all so I can take

of my husband. Just knowing she'll be here soon makes me feel so much better...

[debm55]

4. CTyankee, so glad they arrived so soon and your husband is back home. Wish both of you well.

[badhair77]

5. Best wishes for hubby and you.

Falls can be terrifying so it’s comforting to have such a reliable team helping you. Best wishes for a full recovery. Remember to give yourself come extra care. Please keep us updated.

[CTyankee]

7. I want to thank YALE. All the people that helped my husband work for their hospital which is among

the best hospitals in the country. Several of the staff assisting my husband were grads of Yale Medical School, a fine teaching hospital.

[Polly Hennessey]

8. Glad your husband is ok and on the mend.

I also live in a blue state and have excellent emergency services and health care. You must have a great cleaning person (they are to be treasured).

[CTyankee]

12. and all of my kids live in blue states (CA, NY, and MA). THAT really reassures me!

[Fla Dem]

10. Glad to hear he was not seriously hurt, but still a scary situation for you both.

[malaise]

11. Glad he's recovering

You may want to think about putting up rails in the bath for both of you.
Take care

[CTyankee]

13. we have handicap accessibility in our bathroom. Ironically, he might have tripped on the new skid

proof rug I had just put down.

We have bath benches and bars and a skid proof mat. To be sure of its grip I sprinkle Comet Cleanser on it before we get into the tub to shower and I test it. Bath soap leaves a slippery surface so I know to test!

[malaise]

15. Damn you did everything right

As we ages falling can be dangerous. Take care

[dembotoz]

31. i have grab bars and such

wonderful things.....

the fall that never happens is the easiest to recover from

[highplainsdem]

14. I'm so sorry to hear that he fell! But it's so reassuring that you got such good

emergency care so quickly, and he's going to be okay.

[AllaN01Bear]

16. i live a mile from our er and the sonora fd is several blocks . many times they

will beat the amulance which is the main paramedics for us . we also have a cal fire station several miles from us if needed . i have afib and it is good that they are close . thank u paramedics .

[LoisB]

17. Goodness, that is scary. I am glad he is ok.

[pandr32]

18. I'm glad he will be okay.

What a scare, and you are quite right--good health/emergency care is important.

[Ziggysmom]

19. Wishing your hubby speedy healing. Mine fell in early March and the outcome was not so good;

he fractured his left hip. Anything and everything we can do for safety as we get older is time and money well spent. I've added night lights to all our bathrooms and hallways and that has made a difference.

We also bought a wireless pager system that has a button on a lanyard he wears, press the button and it alerts the units I have elsewhere in the house. Like a baby monitor but with a call feature; was inexpensive on Amazon.

Take care

[deurbano]

29. The pager is a good idea!

[CTyankee]

42. He has an alert button on his phone but I want one of those lanyards for the bathroom.

[niyad]

20. Sending vibes for a speedy and complete recovery , and huggggs for you both.

[Wicked Blue]

21. Best wishes for his speedy recovery

[WhiteTara]

22. I live in bloody red Arkansas

and my beloved has suffered so much in the past year since his open heart surgery. We have met almost every emt in two counties. He falls so frequently from orthostatic hypotension. The saga is long and painful, but emts are incredible people in every district they exist in.

BTW, why did your hubby fall?

[CTyankee]

43. he tripped on the rug that was a non-slip mat. Ironically!

[WhiteTara]

46. that must have been horrifying!

[gademocrat7]

23. Glad your hubby is home

and recovering. Take care.

[brer cat]

24. I'm glad he is home and recovering.

Take care of yourself too.

[Goddessartist]

25. So glad he's alright!

What a scare! Bless your house cleaner! Yay for Blue States!

[Ilsa]

26. I'm in a purple state in a red county snd

when my MIL fell in the bathroom, EMS got here fast. I don't think she ever lost consciousness, but she needed a couple of stitches on her scalp. They did a wonderful job.

[mountain grammy]

27. Glad he's home

Hope all goes well.

[AuntieKatie]

28. Happy both of you are ok.

Be good to yourself!

[TreasonousBastard]

30. I'm also in a blue state, and had fallen countless times, 3 of them....

requiring ER visits and hospitalization.

The EMS and ER crews are fantastic, and evidence life in this century is better than it's ever been been.

[elleng]

32. OH GEE, Yank!

GOOD to hear good care available.

[CTyankee]

44. thanks, ellen. It was scary but I think it was the bleeding that freaked me out the most.

I learned that head cuts often have copious bleeds.

[elleng]

47. That's what I've heard, about head cuts.

[electric_blue68]

52. Yes, I remember being warned in Junior High Gym about that, and remembered it!

Frikkin' scary. Glad he will be ok, and got great care from all the EMTs and hospital!

[ancianita]

33. How awful. So glad you got fast, good care, and he's home resting.

Wishing you well, and that this never happens again.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. Wow, That's A Drag!

Glad he's going to be okay.
Hope he heels quickly.

[Pathwalker]

35. Oh my! So glad he's recovering.

Stay safe.

[Moostache]

36. Glad to hear the outcome, sorry to hear the circumstances...

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

[Niagara]

37. Sending healing vibes to your hubby, CTyankee.

[LatteLady]

38. Falls are not a normal part of aging, fall risk is a chronic condition

I’m so glad he is home and seems ok. Please have him worked up to rule out any medical reason for the fall.

For older adults who have had 2 or more falls, or 1 fall with injury requiring medical attention, the odds of a future fall are greater than 100% unless intervention is received. The single most effective intervention is balance challenge exercise in a “dose” of at least 50 hours over 3-6 months. Start with a comprehensive fall risk assessment and an initial individualized exercise program with a PT.

Other important components of fall prevention intervention are (1) medication review and management to reduce fall risk inducing drugs from your MD, (2) vision exam and treatment (eye DR, with attention to depth perception, contrast sensitivity and visual fields) and (3) home safety eval & modification (PT).

Please ask your doctor to check for syncope/orthostatic hypotension and for a referral to a physical therapist with expertise in fall prevention, for medication management for fall prevention, and referral for a vision exam.

Good luck!

[CTyankee]

45. I think the Yale folks put all that in a multi page report for his GP (mine too). He'll be taking

out the staples. Everything was so efficient!

[Marthe48]

39. So glad you have a happy ending

I know it isn't over til he's well, but he got the attention he needed fast

[bluestarone]

40. WOW! i'm so happy you both are ok!

Accidents happen fast! Hope all goes well for you two!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

41. Found my elderly hubby on the bathroom floor with extremely gray complexion

His BP was extremely low. I knew he'd had a colon bleed earlier in the evening, but doctor said to wait. He fell asleep and during the night got up and made as far as the bathroom before being too weak to move. Called 911 and they were Here pronto. Ambulance to hospital and a week there trying to figure out the cause of the colon bleed. At the end if it all they said he was a candidate for a rebleed. That was maybe 9 years ago. We are careful.

Same here re: the care he was provided instantly after calling 911. We love them.

[panader0]

48. Get well fast hubby!

[AverageOldGuy]

49. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults age 65 and older.

I'm an EMT with a volunteer rescue squad in rural VA. One-third of our calls are for falls. We recommend everyone over 65 and anyone who lives alone invest in one of the medical alert pendants or necklaces.

In fact, one hour ago I returned home from a rescue call in response to a medical alert. Sure enough, the70-yr-old lady had fallen getting out of the shower, open fracture of left forearm (both bones, radius and ulna, protruding out of the skin), head laceration, broken nose -- evacuated by helicopter to Richmond. The forearm will take one or two surgeries, long rehab; she was lucid but you never know about head injuries, could develop into life-threating cranial hematoma; either way, she's in for long recovery and does not need to be living alone.

[CTyankee]

50. There are assisted living apartments near me that can accommodate someone while caregivers are on

respite. I'm going to arrange that for hubby as I am taking what will probably be my last trip to Paris in September with my daughter. I'll only be gone a week and he can stay there and be safe. He says he doesn't need to, but I am going to insist.

[Skittles]

54. trying to get sedentary friend of mine to exercise

I told her, at the very least, every day get down and lay on the floor and then get up....it absolutely shocked me when she demonstrated she had difficulty doing even that....I am a senior citizen and I still swim across lakes...

[LatteLady]

55. Hats off to front line EMTs!

Thanks for all you do.

[raising2moredems]

51. Glad you're in a blue state too..

BUT I wonder if you'd get the same treatment re: every test explained. I sent off two very strongly worded letters to patient relations regarding my recent "encounter" in the health care arena. Not one but two different facilities said nothing to me or my husband re: their suspicion. One facility took hubby out of ear shot to ask him questions - yes him not me. If you could read what his simple "I don't know" answer turned into, you'd be livid also. I have sent a request to correct my medical record - yes that bad. When I asked why a test was ordered, got nothing but "doctor said so". Guess what, I cannot make an informed decision so refused the test. Despite never seeing nor speaking to said "doctor", my record reads otherwise.
So thank your lucky stars and glad your husband is doing well. Health care is now self-care - repeat often to yourself.

[Duncanpup]

53. Thinking of you both