“Today’s anti-fall technology has come a long way from the emergency alert systems of the late 1980s, when Mrs. Fletcher uttered her iconic TV-commercial cry: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” That kind of pendant or bracelet, or even a voice-activated system, is useless for someone who is injured, unconscious or too weak to trigger it.

Now, the A.I. technology is being rolled out in some of New York City’s high-end senior living facilities, as well as nationwide. (These facilities don’t come cheap: At the Bristal, rates start at $14,500 a month for a studio.) The sensors are typically mounted high on the wall and capture the movements of the person or people inside, sending real-time information to staff members — meaning the residents don’t have to do anything to summon help.

The system also helps identify fall risk using mattress sensors to monitor vital signs like respiration and heart rate, and stores data to keep a record of an individual’s regular movements as a way to identify aberrations. Designated staff members receive daily health information showing statistically significant changes.

At the Bristal, falls have declined by 40 percent since the detection system was introduced several years ago, Ms. Sosnow said. In one case, a woman with a history of falling at home took a tumble within a week of arrival. The system showed she was getting little sleep, so a doctor was able to prescribe something to help.”

From New York Times.