Assisted living has always been about balance: having the independence and autonomy of your own home, combined with a maintenance-free lifestyle and the right level of support when needed. As populations age, that balance is becoming harder to strike. Demand for assisted living spaces is soaring, staffing is under strain, and funding pressures are intensifying.
One of the most powerful responses to these challenges lies not simply in building more accommodation, but in futureproofing our accommodation by embedding sensor technology into housing and care. From fall detection and movement monitoring to smart home systems and predictive analytics, sensor-based solutions are already redefining what “independent living” means for older people in the UK and around the world.
Smarter by design
When I joined Just Checking in 2019, after 20 years in care management, the initial response to installing sensor technology into people’s homes was still somewhat resistant. As a team, we have worked on hearts and minds, demonstrating the dignity, autonomy and personalised assistance that technology enabled care can provide; giving staff the tools (and the time) to deliver responsive and compassionate care.
The idea of monitoring is understandably unnerving. However, when it is applied with purpose, and it is both outcomes and person led, it can be lifechanging.
Assisted living services have utilised technology to enable independence and provide emergency support for over two decades. Primarily, this has been ‘telecare’ monitoring methods that make use of personal alarms, buttons and other alerting devices, that when triggered call a 24/7 monitoring centre or a designated caregiver to provide appropriate assistance. This has provided millions of aging adults and their families reassurance that someone will be available to help them at their time of need.
This method does and has worked well for many people, however, experience has taught me that there are many occasions whereby the practicalities of actively engaging (with even basic technologies) in a moment of crisis, often limits their usefulness. Recent examples include; the person who was not near to their pendant when they needed it because they did not think they could get it wet in the shower; or the person who left it on the arm of the chair when fetching a drink and fell ill; or the person who doesn’t like how it feels on, so doesn’t wear it, but ‘it’s here somewhere’ (the last one is multiple people I know).
Sensors don’t ask you to interact with them. They passively monitor, discreetly in the background, meaning that older people can move freely around their home, knowing that help will arrive if something goes wrong. What’s more, the data gathered from sensors can build a picture of a person’s typical movements, so that if this starts to change, we can look into the cause and intervene.
Moving beyond technology for emergencies, sensor networks provide rich data about daily activity and wellbeing at home. Subtle changes, like reduced movement, irregular kitchen use, fewer bathroom visits, or disturbed sleep patterns, can be early warning signs of health or wellbeing decline. When these changes are detected and flagged, care teams can step in earlier, potentially preventing hospital admissions and moving away from a crisis response.
Sensors tell a story
It is the story that data tells us that makes sensors so useful. Whether on walls, appliances, flooring, or furniture, they detect unusual activity and highlight changes in routine. Sensors have shown when meals weren’t microwaved long enough, causing illness; when someone sleeps in a chair overnight and is immobile in the day; when a person at risk of falls reliably uses a walking aid; and when frequent night-time toilet trips explains daytime fatigue. Crucially, this evidence enables timely GP intervention, preventing emergencies by uncovering the why behind behaviours.
From reactive, to preventative care
What we do with this data is now crucial. If care is only delivered in times of crisis, costs will continue to escalate at a rate higher than is necessary, or affordable.
Let’s take Sure Start as an example of preventative services; the Institute for Fiscal Studies recently reported that the financial benefits (on health, education, crime, SEND and social care) were twice as high as its up-front costs (c £4,860 per child).
Falls remain the single biggest cause of hospital admissions among older adults, affecting 1 in 3 over 65 and half over 80 each year. They account for 10% of ambulance calls and cost about £21,120 per fall. Preventing just 10% could save £528 million annually, while improving wellbeing and easing pressure on emergency and social care services.
The cost of crisis is always more expensive than the cost of prevention.
The good news is that, like many countries before us, as the UK grapples with an ageing population, the importance of housing with care models supported by technology is being recognised at a policy level. The 10 Year Health Plan emphasises care at home first, and many local authorities are including TEC within their housing strategies.
Meanwhile, private investors see assisted living as a growth sector. Many are exploring smart retirement villages where environmental sensors, wearable tech, and telehealth facilities are seamlessly combined. These schemes not only enhance care but also appeal to older consumers increasingly comfortable with digital tools.
Sensor technology is no longer a futuristic idea for assisted living; it is already here, reshaping what it means to grow older with independence. The challenge now is scaling these solutions, integrating them into mainstream housing policy, and ensuring they are accessible to all, not just to those who can afford premium retirement villages.
If the UK can get this right, sensor-enabled living environments will not only reduce pressure on hospitals and care homes but also empower older adults to live with dignity, confidence, and choice. In the end, that is what assisted living should always be about: not just adding years to life, but adding life to years.
