Most families start by fixing the hallway, the light, or the bathroom. Before you do that, watch the first minute of the night trip. The problem you are solving may begin at the bed, before she takes a single step.

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Watch the sequence

On three nights, or during a daytime rest if she naps in bed, note each movement in order. Typical steps are rolling toward the edge, pushing up with one or both hands, sitting on the edge, pausing, putting her feet down, and standing. Mark every place she stops, grabs something, or sits down again before she stands. A pause is information. Write down how long it lasts if you can count it.

Look for the signs that point to the rise

Notice whether she reaches for the nightstand, the headboard, or your arm before she sits up. Notice whether she slides forward to the edge with her weight shifted to one side. Notice whether the mattress sinks under her hands when she pushes. Notice whether her shoes or slippers are within reach of her feet when she sits, or whether she has to search for them.

Each of these is an observation, not a diagnosis. Write what you saw in plain words, such as 'pushed up with both hands, sat for a while, stood on the second try.'

Check the bed as it is now

Measure the height of the bed edge from the floor. Sit her in a chair of similar height and compare the height of her knees to the bed edge. Note whether her feet reach the floor flat when she sits on the bed. These numbers are useful to bring to the appointment whether or not you change anything.

What to do with what you find

If the rise looks unsteady, or she stops and grips things every night, that is a question for her physician. Bring the notes and ask whether she should be checked for how she gets up from bed or a chair. Do not decide the answer yourself from a list of signs, and do not change her medicines or routine because of what you see without asking first.

Keep the notes in one place. Next to the sequence, write the time of night, whether the light was on, and whether she had been asleep or was awake for a while before she moved.