Personal emergency response systems (PERS) have evolved far beyond simply providing a fast connection to 911. Today, these connected devices offer a wide range of services that support individuals with chronic conditions, those medically vulnerable, and older adults who wish to age safely at home. By delivering timely assistance, real-time monitoring, and personalized support, today’s PERS help lower unnecessary healthcare costs across the system.
The High Cost of Falls: A Multi-Billion Dollar Problem
Falls can be debilitating. They threaten a person’s safety, independence and confidence. In just the blink of an eye, an independent adult can suddenly become reliant upon assistive services and caregivers for help with everyday activities.
According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the U.S. among seniors. Over a quarter of American adults age 65+ fall each year, resulting in more than 3 million injuries treated in emergency departments, including over 800,000 hospitalizations annually.
Falls not only take a toll on a person’s health, but they also come at a tremendous financial cost. Among older adults who fall, more than half require hospital care. The average cost per inpatient visit for fall-related injuries is $18,658, while emergency department visits average $1,112. In 2020 alone, the total healthcare cost of non-fatal falls among older adults was $80 billion, and this cost is projected to rise even further, exceeding $101 billion by 2030.
However, falls are not an inevitable part of aging. With the right combination of lifestyle changes, a safe home environment, and the support of personal emergency response systems (PERS), falls among seniors can be largely avoided.
The Story Behind the Device
One essential step that can be taken to help improve safety and independence is the use of PERS, also known as medical alert systems. These devices were originally created as fall alert systems for older adults. In the 1970s, they were simple pendants with a button in the center worn around a senior’s neck. They were highly effective if a person fell or needed assistance in their home.
Fast forward nearly five decades, and PERS have come a long way. Not only are they now available in stylish and sleek wearables and watches, but they are also mobile and Wi-Fi-enabled, offering more capabilities such as:
- GPS location tracking
- Automatic fall detection
- Step tracking and heart rate monitoring
These capabilities allow users to get help whether they are at home, outdoors, or traveling.
Enhanced Safety Through Location Awareness
PERS with GPS and geofencing features offer added peace of mind for caregivers and family members. Users with cognitive challenges, for example, can be monitored more safely using these tools.
- Geofencing allows care teams to set up safe zones. If a user moves beyond a defined area, the system sends an alert to caregivers or loved ones.
- Away Services notify family members when the user leaves or returns home. This creates a helpful routine check-in system that improves oversight without invading privacy.
Smarter Emergency Response and Triage
Not every alert requires emergency medical services. Today’s PERS offer a variety of response options based on the severity of the situation. These include:
- Family members
- Professional caregivers
- Nurses or clinical triage staff
- Emergency responders
This flexible approach helps users get the right level of assistance. In many cases, someone may only need reassurance or a quick consultation rather than a hospital visit. Reducing unnecessary EMS dispatches lowers costs and helps users feel more secure in their care environment.
Turning Data into Preventive Care
Connect America’s PERS are underpinned by a sophisticated technology platform that offers health plans and care managers data analytics with real-time reporting. This analytics platform provides insights into:
- Daily activity and movement patterns
- Fall frequency
- Hospital transport and escalation events
- Common call reasons and outcomes
Its drill-down capability allows users to access data from the overall population down to individual-level details to identify high-risk individuals, spot trends early, and coordinate better care.
The ROI of PERS: Better Care, Lower Costs
PERS helps support a wide range of conditions, not just falls. They are also a highly effective solution for healthcare payers and value-based care organizations due to their ability to help lower unnecessary healthcare utilization and ease healthcare costs.
For example, data collected from an internal PERS analysis found that Connect America’s PERS were widely utilized for individuals with symptoms related to conditions including respiratory issues, general pain, gastrointestinal issues, cardiac symptoms, and stroke. This research showed favorable news for rising healthcare costs and the strain on hospital staff, with 53 percent of the PERS calls-for-assistance covering falls and 47 percent non-fall health issues. In addition, less than half resulted in hospital transport. Regardless of the challenges faced by seniors in the home, nearly 90 percent of all PERS subscribers did not require escalation to higher levels of care.
Further results showed that individuals monitored by Connect America’s PERS demonstrated a significant reduction in readmissions, ED visits and overall hospitalization costs, including:
- 68% reduction in 90-day hospital readmissions
- 53% decrease in 180-day readmissions
- 49% decrease of 180-day EMS encounters
- 31% reduction in total hospitalization costs
And, especially important to healthcare payers, PERS is a smart investment to drive quality care and lower costs. Our recent analysis showed that potentially avoided ED and hospitalization costs for subscribers resulted in an estimated cost savings of $236 million and an annual ROI of approximately 3.3:1. For every $1 invested, $3.30 was saved.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Aging in Place
The future of PERS is here, and these powerful advancements are all part of Connect America’s commitment to going beyond the button. What was once just a pendant for emergency help has evolved into a comprehensive solution that offers real-time monitoring and specialized services to support individuals who wish to age safely and independently at home for as long as possible.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Looking to improve outcomes, reduce readmissions, and support safe aging at home? Contact us today to see how our advanced PERS solutions can help your organization.