PERS 2.0 is the new era of Personal Emergency Response Systems. Some trends we’ve seen with PERS 2.0 include:
- Fall sensors with automatic fall detection (like Oval)
- Caregivers and facilities using BLE, Wi-Fi, radio frequency or GPS to find wandering patients
- Devices that can send status updates to loved ones
- Devices that remind user or alert a caregiver if not being worn. For example, the Tact Door Contact monitors medication intake when placed on a medicine cabinet door.
Most of these trends fall into three fields: Mobile PERS (mPERS), telehealth and IoT.
mPERS are best for those who are active outside the home but want to stay safe. These long-range units (or apps) allow users to enjoy life on the go because they use cell networks. Systems using landlines are still the most popular option. However, mPERS made up 20% of the market in 2015 and are growing rapidly. In 2020, they will be the most popular choice if current projections hold true.
IoT (or the Internet of Things) refers to devices and apps that can connect online and communicate with each other. This is enabled through Wi-Fi and cloud tech. Telehealth refers to healthcare provided remotely, by video conferencing for example. Telehealth’s popularity has boomed recently because there is an increasing number of seniors who may not have access to a doctor close by. The market for remote patient monitoring will grow to $21.2 billion in 2017 which makes telehealth and IoT great opportunities for the PERS industry. An application of these technologies would be wearable PERS devices that provide patients’ real-time health data to their doctor. One in five seniors will have a wearable device by 2019 which is a huge potential market.
Exciting things are happening in the world of PERS so now is a great time to join! Companies like Epic are changing the game – aging has never looked this good, or been this high tech.
