Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are rapidly evolving beyond traditional emergency buttons into intelligent, connected solutions that support individuals across the entire continuum of care. During Parks Associates' Connected Health Summit session, Designing the Future of PERS, industry leaders from Becklar, PalCare, and Parks Associates explored how advances in wearables, AI, ambient sensing, and connected care platforms are transforming personal safety. Today's solutions not only provide emergency response capabilities but also deliver proactive insights through activity monitoring, fall detection, geofencing, medication reminders, and caregiver engagement tools. As the aging population grows and more families take on caregiving responsibilities, these technologies are becoming increasingly important for supporting independent living while providing peace of mind to caregivers and healthcare providers.
A key theme throughout the discussion was the importance of actionable intelligence over overwhelming amounts of data. Panelists emphasized that successful innovation lies in delivering simple, meaningful insights, such as confirming a loved one has started their day or identifying changes in mobility patterns, rather than flooding caregivers with alerts and dashboards. AI is playing a critical role behind the scenes by analyzing data, identifying anomalies, and helping prioritize care interventions, while human oversight remains essential for building trust and ensuring appropriate action. As senior living communities, healthcare providers, and technology partners work to better connect care across settings, the future of PERS will depend on seamless collaboration, smarter data sharing, and solutions that adapt to an individual's needs wherever they live.
Download the full replay from the June 16 session, Designing the Future of PERS: Devices, AI, and Continuous Care Across Settings, sponsored by Becklar. For future sessions visit, www.connectedhealthsummit.com.
