Changing position at night without calling for help

Night is when the handset is hardest to use and help is hardest to get. Voice control makes the bed something you can adjust yourself, at any hour.

Why night is different

It is dark, so the symbols on the handset can't be seen.

• The people who could help are asleep, or not due until the morning.

• The handset may have slipped into the bedding or onto the floor, and reaching for it from lying down is hard.

• Hands are often stiffer and weaker in the small hours.

Faced with that, many people put up with an uncomfortable position until morning rather than wake someone for a small change.

Small changes, made when you need them

Raising the head to sit up and have a drink, lifting the legs, lowering the bed back down to sleep: these are small changes, but they add up to comfort and a better night. Regular changes of position are also part of pressure care, which is why OTs and nurses talk about them. YourVoice doesn't change any clinical advice. It removes one barrier to following it: needing someone else's hands to move the bed.

What it sounds like

“Alexa, head up”

“Alexa, legs up”

“Alexa, bed down”

“Alexa, turn off the bed”

The last one stops any movement. You don't need to shout; normal speaking volume is enough when the speaker is close to the bed. The words you can use depend on your bed's motors, and we give you a command card for yours. Check which beds work with YourVoice.

Setting up the bedroom for night

• Put the Alexa speaker within easy talking distance of the bed, not across the room.

• Turn Alexa's response volume down in the Alexa app if a partner is a light sleeper.

• Keep the handset clipped where a carer can reach it.

• Practise the commands during the day, so they are familiar when you are tired.

  
  

For partners and carers

Fewer small call-outs in the night is the obvious change. There is a daytime one too: during transfers, a carer can move the bed into position by voice while keeping both hands on the person they are helping.

Safety

Before lowering the bed, make sure nothing and nobody is underneath it, including pets. The handset always works, so it is there if Alexa doesn't hear you.

Quick answers

Will Alexa wake my partner?

Alexa answers out loud, but you can turn its voice down in the Alexa app.

What if the Wi-Fi drops out overnight?

The handset still works, and voice control comes back when the Wi-Fi does.

Want to see it? Book a demo. If an OT is involved in your care, they can refer you to us.