MONROE — What started as a summer stroll in late June for friends Kennedy Bleiler,11, and Misty Dahmen, 10, turned into a rescue mission when Misty’s brother let the two know that he had seen an elderly community member fall.

Concerned for the fallen woman’s safety, the girls quickly set about making sure help was on the way — the first step being to find the woman.

Once they found her, the pair was able to take charge of the situation and use Misty’s cellphone to call for help. Then, they stayed with the woman until first responders arrived, ensuring that she did not go down again or end up lost.

“I just knew it was the right thing,” Misty said.

One of the first and most important steps to handling senior falls is remaining calm, according to agingcare.com.

Rather than ignoring the situation, the girls’ quick thinking and calm stature in a time of need helped the woman to get back on her feet and receive the proper medical attention.

“It would be so easy to just not get involved,” Kennedy’s mother Marcia said. “I was just really proud that they worked together and took that initiative and helped find her and made sure she was okay.”

What to do?

If an elderly person falls down, here is what to do according to agingcare.com:

1. Stay calm and help the senior to remain calm by encouraging them to take slow, deep breaths.
2. Examine them for injuries like bruises, bleeding, possible sprains and broken bones.
3. Ask them if they are experiencing any pain, where it is located and how severe it is
4. If they have a serious injury (e.g., a broken bone, bleeding), then don’t move them. Call 911 and keep your loved one as warm, comfortable and still as possible until help arrives.
5. If they aren’t badly hurt and they want to get up, proceed slowly. Stop at any point if they become stuck, experience pain or become too tired to get all the way up.
6. Find two sturdy chairs. Place one next to the senior’s head and the other down by their feet. Keep in mind that your loved one must be capable of doing the physical work required to get up. Your role is to help guide them through these steps and keep them steady, not lift their weight. If they cannot do this, then call to request a lift assist.
7. Help your loved one roll over onto their side and assist them in getting onto their hands and knees. If they suffer from sore knees, place a towel beneath them to make this step more comfortable.
8. Move the chair closest to their head directly in front of where they are so they can rise up to place their hands evenly on the seat and assume a kneeling position.
9. Ask the senior to lean forward on the seat as they bring their strongest leg forward, leading with the knee to place their foot flat on the floor. The senior should look like they are in a kneeling lunge at the end of this step.
10. Move the second chair directly behind your loved one, then ask them to use both their arms and legs to push themselves up and sit back into this chair. You can use your hands to keep your loved one steady, but keep your back upright and make sure they are doing the physical work to lift themselves.
11. Keep the senior seated until you’re confident they can stand and continue moving around without hurting themselves or falling again.
12. Immediately notify their doctor that they’ve had a fall and keep an eye out for emerging pain and signs of injury.