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Improving Personal Response Services for Seniors

Posted on by Bridgette

As Australians grow older, so does our need for accessible, efficient, and quality aged care. Technology Enabled Care (TEC), including personal response devices, supports seniors to live independently, staying connected to emergency services, and ensures they’re able to receive the care they need, when and where they need it.

From medical alarms to automatic fall-detection pendants, TEC is transforming the aged care industry, introducing new technologies and opportunities to keep seniors safe and healthy. But, are we doing enough? Or is there still room for improvement?

What is Technology Enabled Care for Seniors?

TEC covers the use of digital and electronic tools to support the safety, wellbeing, and independence of people who require care. For seniors, this means integrating technologies into their daily lives to provide safer home living, improve quality of care, and enhance communication and access to emergency care. These technologies include:

  • Monitored personal alarms: Wearable devices in the form of a pendant, band or watch that enable 24/7 connection to emergency responders. Many of these devices come with features such as GPS tracking and automatic fall detection to increase safety and ensure faster response times.
  • Smart home devices: Motion sensors, automated appliances, smart doorbells, and automated medication dispensers all contribute to providing a safer environment for seniors and allow for greater independence in the comfort of their own home.
  • Assistive technology: This includes devices that help with mobility, cognitive support, bathroom assistance, tissue care and orthoses, and daily living safety. The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme under the new Support at Home Program focuses on providing funding for these types of technologies.
  • Remote monitoring: Remote monitoring systems and devices track users’ activity levels, vital signs, and medical adherence, passing information on to healthcare providers and carers. This enables an added layer of protection in times of accidents and emergencies, as well as early detection for any potential health issues. 

These solutions enhance personal care, offering more convenience and enabling more responsive, person-centred support for those in need. With proper implementation across the country, senior Australians can gain more control over how they receive necessary care and how they live their lives. Family members and friends also gain further peace of mind knowing that support, connection and safety factors are being met. 

Australian Regulations That Support Safety: PERSL Guidelines and AS 4607 Standards

For devices and systems designed for safety and emergency response, they must follow the AS 4607 Standards to be deemed reliable and fit for purpose. This includes:

  • Monitored personal alarms
  • Smart home systems that include emergency buttons, fall detection and integration with emergency services

AS 4607 outlines the minimum performance, design and operational requirements for telecommunications-based personal response systems that connect users to emergency responders in times of need, ensuring fast assistance and support.

 Personal Emergency Response Systems Limited (PERSL) Industry Guidelines also help reinforce the necessity of quality and safety in monitored personal alarms. PERSL Industry Guidelines specify the minimum performance, design and operational requirements for Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) that communicate with a 24-hour monitoring facility over a communications link.

Both AS 4607 and PERSL Guidelines endeavour to ensure emergency response technology is reliable and functional, especially in critical emergencies. And while many modern devices and systems align with AS 4607 and PERSL Guidelines, there are still many systems available in Australia that do not comply with the minimum safety and operational standards. 

This makes the case for government and aged care providers to support the transition to modern, compliant, digital-first emergency and monitoring solutions.

Support at Home: A Missed Opportunity for Innovation?

The Royal Commission understands the importance of embracing technology-enabled care in aged care. In the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, recommendation 109 focuses on improving Information and Communications Technology (ICT) architecture to support the technology and infrastructure needed in the aged care sector.

The Australian Government’s revised Support at Home program was initially set to launch on 1 July 2025, however, concerns were raised due to a lack of effective solutions, predicting it may fall short in delivering on recommendation 109 of the Royal Commission. As a result, the new Support at Home Program is due to start on 1 November 2025, with hopes it will improve access to digitally enabled solutions for a wider population of vulnerable Australians. Current limitations restrict the capacity to fully realise efficiencies that positively impact the rising costs of ageing and healthcare services, and ease the burden on the Medicare system. 

What Are the Benefits of Personal Emergency Response Services?

There are plenty of benefits that come with personal emergency response products and services (PERS), such as:

  • Fall detection and prevention
  • Wandering detection and location tracking 
  • Rapid response reduces further injury and improves outcomes 
  • Reduced hospitalisations and re-admissions
  • Early discharge
  • Reduced ambulance attendance and ramping
  • Delayed relocation to residential aged care
  • Improved medication compliance
  • Workforce and resource management
  • Independent living, social engagement and 24/7 support

Embracing PERS and enhancing accessibility is crucial as the aged care sector continues to evolve. There is a range of unproven and uncertified PERS within the Australian market, and it’s important to ensure vulnerable Australians have funding for certified products and services from companies that operate under well-proven and recognised standards, such as AS 4607 and PERSL Industry Guidelines. This will ensure the safety of all users.

Australian Funding Options

There are several government programs in place to fund Australia’s TEC. These programs span state and federal levels, however, access and consistency remain a challenge throughout. 

There are two main federal packages, focused on covering the cost of personal and other assistive technologies, depending on the individuals’ assessed needs. These are:

  • Home Care Packages (HCP), which will soon transition into Support at Home
  • Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP)

Currently, the only state-level funding programs in Australia are:

  • Victoria: Personal Alert Victoria – Provides monitored personal alarms to eligible seniors living alone or at risk due to health conditions. 
  • South Australia: Personal Alert AssistanceSA – Offers financial assistance to cover the cost of approved monitored health alarm systems. 

While there are no dedicated state-funded PERS programs for Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and the ACT, senior residents can still access TEC through federal aged care packages. In NSW, seniors may also access PERS via EnableNSW as part of the Aids and Equipment Program, when prescribed by an eligible health professional.

While these programs do provide essential support, this fragmented funding structure highlights the need for a national strategy that ensures consistent access to TEC regardless of location. By having a unified TEC approach, the number of senior Australians who will benefit from PERS will increase dramatically. 

PERS Around the World

Australia isn’t the first country to welcome TEC into its aged care services. European nations have adopted various technology-enabled models that can guide policymakers, including Spain, Germany, France, Ireland and the UK. Spain views PERS as a universal legal right — centrally funded but delivered through its autonomous communities for users. Germany takes a different approach, embedding partial funding in its statutory health insurance scheme that covers 90% of its population. France manages PERS at a local level, with access assessed on dependency, whereas Ireland follows a co-payment model where users contribute to the cost of their product based on their income and eligibility. Interestingly enough, Ireland has one of the highest adoption rates of PERS in Europe. In the United Kingdom, PERS access is publicly funded and delivered locally through Public Care Trusts, helping to reduce hospital admissions. 

Final Words

Technology Enabled Care has the potential to transform Australia’s aged care solutions. But to make this transformation equitable and effective, we need more than just devices — we need a commitment from government, providers and regulators.

By heeding the Royal Commission’s recommendations and focusing on innovation and funding access, Australia will be able to offer safe, reliable, and affordable PERS, providing users greater independence and safety, and their loved ones peace of mind. 

Done well, technology-enabled care can deliver on the promise of a system that is safer, smarter, and more dignified — for every older Australian.