The call light system, often referred to as a nurse call system, serves as the primary communication link between residents and staff in healthcare and long-term care settings. Correct placement of these devices is foundational to resident safety, ensuring that timely assistance can be summoned in an emergency or for routine needs. An easily accessible call light reduces a resident’s impulse to attempt tasks unassisted, which is a major factor in preventing falls and associated injuries. When a resident cannot reach the device, the risk of accidents increases, making strategic placement a regulatory and practical necessity for maintaining a safe environment and a high standard of care.
Primary Placement Zones
The area immediately surrounding the bed is the most obvious placement zone for a call light. The device must be situated so it is reliably within reach whether the resident is lying down, sitting up, or shifting position. This often requires the system to be mounted on a flexible cord or integrated into a bedrail attachment that can move with the resident and the adjustable bed frame.
Because modern hospital and long-term care beds can change height and position significantly, the call device placement must accommodate this dynamic environment. The handheld pendant or fixed button should remain accessible regardless of whether the bed is in its lowest position for fall prevention or raised for care procedures. Facilities frequently utilize personal pendant systems, which residents wear, to supplement fixed devices, ensuring a connection to help is maintained even when they are a short distance from the bed.
High-Risk Area Placement
Beyond the bedside, the bathroom and toilet area represents a significant high-risk zone, as a substantial percentage of falls occur in this environment. The call light system must be accessible from both the toilet and the bathing area, which is typically a shower or tub. In the toilet area, a fixed button or pull cord must be placed within easy reach of the resident while seated, often mounted near the grab bars for intuitive access.
For wet environments like showers, the devices must be water-resistant and clearly marked, ensuring functionality is not compromised by steam or splashing. A crucial design requirement is the inclusion of a device that is accessible even if the resident has fallen to the floor. This is often accomplished through the use of a pull cord that extends nearly to the floor level, allowing a resident who is incapacitated to activate the alarm by pulling the cord from a lying position.
Optimizing Accessibility for Diverse Needs
Effective call light placement requires adhering to universal design principles that ensure usability for all residents, including those with physical or cognitive limitations. The height and lateral reach of fixed call buttons must comply with accessibility standards, generally falling within a standardized reach range to prevent the need for excessive bending or overextending. This ensures that a resident with limited joint mobility or muscle weakness can still successfully activate the call without straining.
Visual and tactile accessibility are also foundational for effective placement, especially for residents with impaired vision or cognitive decline. Buttons should feature high contrast coloring, such as a large red button on a white plate, to maximize visibility and reduce the time needed to locate the device. Incorporating tactile feedback, such as a raised button or a distinct click sound upon activation, confirms to the resident that their request has been successfully registered by the system.
For residents with severe mobility impairments, the room must be designed to accommodate specialized input devices that connect to the nurse call system. This might include breath-activated switches, large paddle buttons, or pillow speakers that allow the resident to call for help using minimal effort. Placement for these devices is highly individualized, requiring staff to position them based on the resident’s specific functional range of motion and preferred method of control.