Norah Boyle, 85, suffered a head injury as Sabrina Duncan and Benter Ouma put her to bed at The Green Nursing Home in Kings Norton. She died 23 days later.
The workers delayed calling 999 and pretended Mrs Boyle knocked her head on the head board.
They must do 160 hours' unpaid work and pay Â£500 court costs each.
The pair were not prosecuted for being responsible for the fall, but for being "grossly negligent in their response".
Mrs Boyle died in hospital after developing pneumonia.
In sentencing, judge Mark Wall said it was impossible to say whether reporting the incident any earlier would have made any difference to Mrs Boyle's eventual death.
Her daughter, Ellen Boyle, said: "I'm appalled that that's what they got for what happened to my mum.
"I'm appalled that my mother's life is only worth 12 months of a community order."
Speaking after the court hearing Det Sgt Victoria Lee said the pair had delayed calling an ambulance while they came up with a cover story.
"While [Duncan and Ouma] plotted, Mrs Boyle laid in bed with a serious head injury, her head bleeding onto the pillow," she said.
"Most of us have relatives who are frail, disabled or vulnerableâ€¦ we expect them to be cared for professionally and compassionately."
Duncan, 40, of Shartlands Close, Cotteridge, and Ouma, 31, of Summerfield Crescent, Edgbaston, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Birmingham Crown Court to neglect and ill-treatment.

Rockstar have announced the game's release has been delayed until 24 March.
The latest version of the open world adventure was due to go on sale on 27 January.
A statement from Rockstar said: "The game requires a few extra weeks of testing and polish to make it as good as can be."
"Moving a release date is never a decision we take lightly and is a choice we make only when we know it is in the best interests of the game and our fans.
"Thanks everyone for your understanding and we assure you these few extra weeks will be worth it when the game does arrive in March."
It's not all bad news though. The company announced that eagerly-awaited online heists are coming to consoles before the PC release date.
Screenshots from the PC version of GTA V have been released, with Rockstar promising "even greater levels of detail".
Los Santos and Blaine County will be visible in 1080p at 60fps, with up to 4K resolution and support for up to triple monitor configurations.
While you're waiting for the game to be released you can make sure your PC is up to scratch.
Minimum specifications required to run GTA V have also been published.
Grand Theft Auto V became the fastest-selling entertainment product ever when it was released on 17 September 2013, taking just three days to generate $1bn (Â£620m) in revenue.
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Two care workers who admitted neglect after a pensioner fell from a hoist at a Birmingham care home have been sentenced to 12-month community orders.
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PC gamers will have to wait a little bit longer if they want to play Grand Theft Auto V.