2.5 Describe ways to ensure the individual can summon help when alone during personal care

This guide will help you answer 2.5 Describe ways to ensure the individual can summon help when alone during personal care.

Caring for someone during personal care involves respecting their right to privacy and independence, but it is also important to maintain safety—especially when the person is alone. Part of this responsibility is providing ways to summon help if they feel unsafe or face an emergency. This support allows the individual to maintain dignity and control, while not being left feeling isolated or at risk.

What are Personal Care Situations?

Personal care covers activities like washing, bathing, toileting, dressing, managing continence, or assistance with grooming. Some individuals find this area of care private or intimate, preferring to manage alone where possible. Others may need assistance but wish for some independence, perhaps asking staff to wait outside a closed door. It is during these times that risks of falls, slips, fainting, or becoming unwell can increase. The need to summon help at once becomes vital for safety.

Common Risks When Alone During Personal Care

Certain risks are closely linked to being alone during personal care, including:

• Slipping in the bath or shower
• Falling while dressing or undressing
• Becoming unable to stand after toileting
• Losing balance or consciousness
• Feeling pain or weakness
• Unexpected medical emergencies, such as heart issues or strokes

Recognising these risks makes it clear that there must be a reliable way for the person to call for help.

Importance of Having a Means to Summon Help

A prompt response to emergencies often prevents worse outcomes. Having ways to request help protects the individual physically and reassures them that support is always close. It promotes confidence in personal care routines and helps maintain independence for longer. When people know they can easily attract attention, they are less likely to avoid personal care or feel anxious.

Simple Methods to Summon Help

Sometimes, very straightforward solutions work well. These do not require technology but can be effective in certain settings.

Calling Out or Shouting

If the individual is within earshot of carers, they may simply call or shout for attention if something goes wrong. However, this relies on support staff being nearby and able to hear, which isn’t always reliable.

Use of Bells or Handbells

Where a regular call bell system is not fitted, a small handbell or loud bell can be given to the person. When rung, this alerts staff in the next room. This method suits those able to grip and move their hands confidently.

Scheduled Checks

Some care agreements use a set schedule, where a carer will check on the person at agreed intervals. If the individual needs help, they wait for the next visit. This is a basic safeguard but may not be fast enough in urgent cases. It does not replace a way to call for instant help.

Electronic Call Systems

Most health and social care settings install electronic call systems aimed at boosting safety.

Pull Cords

A pull cord is a long string or cord usually fixed to the wall near the bath, toilet, or bed. With a single tug, this sends an alert to a central point, such as a nurse station. Staff see a light or hear a buzzer and come quickly. These are common in care homes, hospitals, and supported living flats. Pull cords work best at hand height and it’s sensible to fit several within reach, including low down in case the person falls.

Push Buttons or Call Pads

Some call systems use large push buttons placed close to where the person might sit or lie during personal care. Others use soft pads for pressing. These can send wireless signals and tend to be easier for those with limited hand movement. It is good practice to test these regularly with the individual.

Pendant Alarms

Individuals living alone may wear a pendant alarm around their neck or wrist. These send a signal to staff on site, a family member, or a 24-hour monitoring centre. Many care homes also keep pendant alarms available for those residents who request extra privacy for periods alone. These alarms have large, easy-to-use buttons.

Pressure Mats

Pressure mats are flat, sensitive pads placed on the bathroom or bedroom floor. In some cases, stepping onto one triggers an alert. While not for summoning help directly, these can tell staff that a person has moved into an area independently. If the mat senses movement but no return, it may alert staff to check. Some mats can be set so the person must step on it in the event of a fall, alerting others without needing fine motor control.

Voice-Activated Devices

Voice recognition is built into some assistive technology. The person can call out a command, such as “call for help,” and the system alerts carers or family. This method helps those with weak grip or mobility issues. Devices include smart speakers (like Alexa or Google Home), which can be programmed with emergency routines.

Telecare and Remote Monitoring Tools

Some systems use sensors, alarms, and digital connections as part of Telecare. Telecare means using technology to remotely monitor or support someone in their home or care setting.

Examples include:

• Door sensors that trigger an alert if someone is in the bathroom too long
• Sensors that monitor movement, inactivity, or water spills
• Cameras with consent, pointed at near-ceiling angles, for checking if the person has stood up after a fall
• Careline services offering personal alarms linked to staffed call centres day and night

With Telecare, help can be summoned even if family or regular carer is not in the building.

Agreeing the Best Option With the Individual

The worker will always discuss the person’s needs and preferences before choosing how they will summon help. Factors taken into account include:

• The person’s physical ability (such as whether they can press a button, pull a cord, or speak clearly)
• Sensory needs (for example, low vision or hearing difficulties)
• Mental capacity and understanding
• Privacy and dignity wishes
• Level of risk (such as a history of falls or heart problems)

Workers, individuals, and families or advocates work together as part of a care plan to agree how, where, and when alarms or aids are used. The person’s wishes are central to all decisions.

Educating the Individual About Use

After setting up the way of summoning help, the worker should show the individual how it works. This includes:

• Demonstrating how to use call bells, alarms, or assistive tech
• Explaining in plain language what to do in an emergency
• Regularly practising, especially if the individual is nervous
• Making sure instructions are in a format the person understands (for example, large print or picture guides)

This learning builds confidence and removes fear about calling for support. The person should always know who will answer the call for help.

Placing Summoning Devices for Maximum Access

It is important that call bells, cords, buttons, or alarms are placed where the person can always reach them, whether seated, standing, or even if fallen. Good practice involves:

• Fitting pull cords at different heights (high for standing, low for if lying on the floor)
• Checking buttons are easy to reach from bath chairs, shower seats, or toilets
• Having a pendant alarm to wear around the neck or wrist
• Ensuring devices are not blocked by furniture or obstacles
• Testing batteries and connections often

If someone is likely to move around, portable devices are best. Staff must check after every cleaning or tidying session that devices are still in the right position.

Periodic Testing and Maintenance

Equipment that is not checked may not work when needed. Regular planned testing is part of safe care. The worker should:

• Test all alarm systems at the start of each shift
• Make sure portable devices have enough battery power
• Respond swiftly to reports of faulty equipment
• Log and report any problems to maintenance
• Keep a record of all tests and repairs
• Involve the individual in testing if possible, to reassure them

Special Considerations

Some individuals need extra support. For example:

• Those with cognitive needs, such as dementia, may not remember how to use a device. Simple, visible objects may be easier for them.
• People with limited speech could need a button with a single clear function.
• Individuals with physical disabilities may need adapted switches, such as sip-and-puff (operated by blowing or sucking) or large, light-touch pads.
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing may need a visual alarm system, like flashing lights, or vibration features on wearable alarms.
• For those with visual impairment, tactile buttons and braille markings may help.

Personalising the approach keeps the individual safe and respected.

Policies, Procedures and Legislation

All organisations follow a risk assessment process to decide the best way to summon help. This is part of a wider duty to provide safe care and comply with laws such as:

• The Care Act 2014
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Manual Handling regulations
• Equality Act 2010

Care providers write clear policies. These should outline how and when help may be summoned, who responds, and what checks are made. If support is delayed or devices are not working, the worker must report this without delay.

Record Keeping and Documentation

The worker must document:

• What system is set up for each individual
• That the person has been trained to use it
• When maintenance and testing takes place
• Any incidents, failures, responses or required follow-up

All written records must respect the person’s confidentiality.

Emotional Reassurance

Being alone during personal care can sometimes cause worry or embarrassment. The existence of a reliable way to summon support helps reduce anxiety. Staff should:

• Reassure the individual that no request is a burden
• Tell them support is always available
• Be discreet when responding to calls
• Respect privacy, only entering when asked or when truly needed for safety

Kindness in how workers respond matters as much as the alarm itself.

Examples of Ways to Summon Help in Different Settings

Residential Care

Mary lives in a care home with a private bathroom. She prefers independence but has limited strength. Staff provide a pendant alarm and a pull cord in the bathroom. At her request, staff wait outside with the door ajar whenever she wants to be fully alone.

Supported Living

Bill has some mobility and lives with others in a supported house. Electronic call bells are near the bath and toilet. Bill is shown how to use a button at bed level. The system is tested at each handover between shifts.

Home Care

Jane lives at home with community care visits. Her family installs a Careline system with a wearable alarm. This links directly to a call centre, where workers then alert her emergency contacts or an ambulance if needed.

Hospital

Imran is admitted to a hospital ward. There is a wired call bell above his bed and a pull cord in the ensuite. Staff explain both systems when he arrives. If he gets into difficulty during personal care, he pulls the cord and staff arrive within minutes.

Final Thoughts

Giving people reassurance and keeping them safe empowers them to take control of personal care while knowing help is always at hand. This balance is the foundation of person-centred practice in health and social care.