Illustrations of proper way to lift an elderly person?

Irenea65, If an elder falls, don't be in a hurry to get them up. Give them a few minutes to be fully alert. If they are not regaining alertness, call 911. Ask them to roll onto their back and sit up. If they can't do that call 911. From a sitting position have them get on their knees and give them a chair to pull themselves up with. If they say they can't or that they are in pain, call 911.
My MIL refused to use her walker. I told her straight out I would NOT pick her up. I would give her a pillow and blanket and leave her on the floor.
My sister fell and broke her back. She called a friend who came over and called 911. Had she picked her up, she would have been paralyzed from the waist down. Better safe than sorry.

When my mom ends up on the floor I lift her from behind and I use the one step higher method... first to a low stool, then a higher one, then a chair. She is dead weight and can not help at all, can't even sit up without help. I dress her in sturdy jogging pants because even with normal transfers the waistband is easy to grip and no matter where else I grab I know the fabric can take it without ripping, the gait belt just ended up around her boobs.

irenena65, lifting an elderly person can be quite difficult because they tend to be dead weight, thus unable to help you while you are helping them. Another risk is breaking bones as when one ages the bones become weak.

For my own elderly Dad, I wasn't even able to help him up out of a chair, thus I knew there was no way I could get him up if he fell. After a few calls to 911, Dad decided it was time for him to move to senior living where two Aides can help him get up should he fall.

It's not ideal. I once had to get into the bath tub behind my mother and - I can hardly bear to think about it, it was a nightmare and if I'd had any other option I'd never have done it. That definitely wasn't safe because the tub was slippery and I was breaking out in a cold sweat from fear as well as exertion. Maybe it was the adrenalin that got me through and her out of the bath tub in one piece in the end.

On a plain carpeted surface with a good grip, it depends on:

the weight of the elderly person
the level of mobility of the elderly person, which determines how much she can contribute to raising herself
the weight and strength of the lifter
the expertise of the lifter
the degree of certainty that the elderly person is not already injured. I.e. unless you are very sure, don't lift her.

You can see CNA training videos of the proper lifting technique on youtube, but they ALL involve using two people. Since we usually don't have that luxury in the home we often have to make due with whatever works, as long as it isn't hurting your loved one or straining you it should be OK.
Could you tell us a little more about what you are trying to do? If they are on the floor after a fall it might be better to have them picked up and checked over by EMS.