Shoe by Gary Brookins and Susie MacNelly for April 09, 2024

Keep a chair close by so you will have something to grab and get up…..

At my age it is a required plan. Although with determination and some really effective expletives, I can get standing without a having something to grab on to.

Roll onto your stomach, then get up like a child does. Onto your hands and knees, then hold something to pull yourself up. Told to me by a Beijing University trained acupuncturist.

My knees have let me down. I always grab something to use as a crutch to stand up again. Especially when gardening.

I swear the ground gets further away every day

Or make sure you’re within crawling distance of something sturdy! Chairs can be unreliable as supports for getting up. They can slide / tip.

Use your Life Alert: “I sat down and can’t get up.”

My wife purchased a bathtub lift for when she falls. We’ve used it a couple of times.

If you get down on the ground, be sure you have a strategy for getting back up.

Once again, 911 deals with strange things.

Many helpful hints from today’sl commenters. Thanks.

Getting to the floor is the easy part. All I have to do is fall. It’s the getting up again which requires a bit more planning.

And to think I used to sit cross legged on the floor and stand straight up from that position without uncrossing my legs, our using my arms to assist. (sigh).

Unfortunately, this mishap falls under the non-emergency emergency, not 911.

That’s why he could never get down and boogie.

Or a large dog

There is a great exercise program called “Body Groove”. Creative dance designed to maintain mobility. They have a fun one where you funky dance your way down to the floor, then dance your way back up. Yeah, it takes practice, but it is effective. There are other sessions where they have you crawling around on the floor on hands and feet like spiderman. I’ve been doing it for 5 years and my flexibility and ability to get down and back up off the floor has improved. Much easier now to find all the cat toys that end up under the furniture. There’s also plenty of fun dancing, like the Charleston, and Latin dance.

Poor Cosmo has got to lose some weight, although it’s not clear how this could happen.

Evidently he’s forgotten he’s a bird. Shed the coat and shoes and fly big boy.

Crawling is inevitable

It takes a lot of practice. I sleep on pads on the floor so I can practice getting up. Japanese who sleep on the floor have extended mobility in old age compared to bed-sleepers.

he should use medical alert, help I’ve fallen and can’t get up, not 911

I have been in his position.

We call that a lift assist at the firehouse…

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

It’s easy: don’t get old.