Your parent fell and you are abroad: what to do in the first hour

A calm, step-by-step plan for NRIs when a parent in India has fallen: who to call, what to share with the hospital and how to coordinate from far away.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-09-29

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First 10 minutes

If they are unconscious, bleeding heavily, struggling to breathe or cannot move: call 112 (or 108 for an ambulance) and ask someone nearby to stay with them.
If you cannot reach your parent, call your nearest local contact and ask them to go to the house now. Do not wait to see whether your parent calls back.
Send the emergency card — address with landmark, allergies, medicines, blood group, doctor — to whoever is going.
Tell one sibling. Ask them to tell the rest, so that your phone stays free.

Until trained help arrives

First-aid guidance is consistent on this: a person who may have injured their neck, back or hip should not be pulled up or moved unless they are in danger where they lie. Ask whoever is with them to keep them still, warm and calm, and to follow the instructions of the ambulance team.

Neck or back pain after the fall.
A leg that looks bent, shortened or turned outwards.
A blow to the head followed by confusion, vomiting or unusual sleepiness.

These are reasons to wait for trained help rather than lifting. They are not a diagnosis.

At the hospital

Send the full medicine list to the person at the hospital — the doctors will want to know about blood thinners, diabetes medicines and BP medicines in particular.
Ask for the name of the doctor in charge and a number for updates.
Ask about the expected deposit and whether the hospital is on your parent’s insurer’s cashless network.
Ask for copies of X-ray or CT reports, and later the discharge summary.

Coordinating from abroad

Name one person in India as the hospital’s point of contact. Hospitals talk to one person, not to five.
Keep a shared note of updates for siblings, with times.
Decide who stays with your parent for the first 48 hours after they come home.
Decide whether you need to fly, and when. The days after discharge are often when you are needed most.

After the fall

Most falls have a cause worth finding: a new medicine, dizziness on standing, poor lighting, a wet bathroom floor, weak eyesight, loose slippers. Ask their doctor to review the fall, and make the house safer before your parent is alone in it again.

Fear of falling again is common and makes people move less, which makes the next fall more likely. Ask the doctor whether physiotherapy would help.

Make the next fall a shorter one

The greatest danger after a fall is lying on the floor for hours, unable to reach a phone. A daily check-in with a phone-call follow-up, and a neighbour who holds a spare key, shorten that time from a day to a few hours.

Questions families ask

What number do I call for an ambulance in India?

112 works nationwide for all emergencies; 108 is the ambulance number in most states.

Can I call 112 from outside India?

Emergency short codes generally work only from phones inside the country. From abroad, ring a local contact and ask them to call 112, or call the hospital’s emergency number directly.

Should I fly immediately?

It depends on the injury and on who is with your parent. Many families find they are most useful in the week after discharge, when the hospital staff are gone and daily help has to be arranged.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in India call 112.