June 2026
Rising Ambulance Call Outs Highlight the Importance of Timely Support for Older Adults Living Alone
Demand for ambulance services continued to climb in 2025, with emergency calls reaching just over 706,000 - an increase of almost 30% since 2020. Commenting on the latest national ambulance data, Hato Hone St John (HHStJ) Deputy Chief Executive of Ambulance Operations Dan Ohs observed that “demand on our emergency ambulance service has never been higher”.
Notably, almost half of ambulance responses in 2025 involved adults aged 65 years or older. This reflects New Zealand’s ageing population, together with factors such as frailty, long-term health conditions, and more older adults living alone.
Falls are a major and growing reason for ambulance responses, accounting for nearly 10% of emergency call outs in 2025 - the fourth-highest category - with fall-related incidents increasing by 8.1% (to 52,559) from 2024.
Older adults are particularly susceptible to falling, partly due to increasing frailty. In fact, half of the almost 390,000 New Zealanders who sustained an injury from a fall at home in 2018 were aged 65 years or older.
According to Dan Ohs, “falls are not just accidents, they are a major and growing health issue”, and when they occur, “early intervention can reduce long-term injury, loss of independence, and pressure on hospitals”.
Beyond falls, HHStJ data showed an increase in ambulance call outs for cardiac and respiratory arrest, rising by 4.8% to 5,750 in 2025. Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in older adults, often at home where events may be unwitnessed. 4,5 Delays between symptom onset and hospital arrival are linked with lower survival. 6
Prompt medical intervention can reduce risk of long-term adverse outcomes following acute medical events in older adults, including impacts contributing to dependent living and increased demand on healthcare services. For clinicians in primary care, this reflects a familiar cohort: older patients living alone with established health conditions, where concern often centres on future risk of an unwitnessed event at home.
Reflecting on these trends, Dan Ohs highlighted the importance of seamless coordination from the first call through to hospital care. For older adults at risk of acute medical events who wish to remain living in their own homes, maintaining independence while having access to timely help is crucial. Use of a medical alarm can support this by facilitating access to time-critical medical care while supporting ageing in place.
St John Medical Alarm activation data on file provides further context. Falls accounted for the largest proportion of medical alarm incidents requiring an ambulance (23%), followed by breathing problems (14%) and chest pain (13.5%). In these situations, the ability to summon help at the press of a button is especially important for older people living alone.
Reported benefits of medical alarm use include feeling safer and less anxious, greater confidence to continue living alone, and remaining active - helping to avoid functional decline and supporting independence.7,8
Healthcare professionals can play an important role in supporting the uptake of medical alarms. Research shows that 61% of people who do not currently use a medical alarm would consider one if recommended by their GP, nurse, or specialist.9 For clinicians, medical alarms can also provide reassurance that their older patients are able to access help should an acute medical event occur.
A St John Medical Alarm offers 24/7 response and connects directly to Hato Hone St John. Alarm activations are triaged by HHStJ staff, allowing some incidents to be resolved by phone while supporting timely intervention. For older patients who live alone and are at risk of a future unwitnessed event, referral of a medical alarm represents a simple preventive intervention supporting independence, reassurance, and timely access to help when needed most.
Referral is straightforward, primary healthcare professionals can refer their patients directly through their PMS via Healthlink or ERMs. Secondary healthcare professionals can refer by submitting a form here.
May 2026
One million Kiwis will soon be over 65. How do we help them age safely at home?
Seven out of 10 New Zealanders say they want to remain in their current homes for the rest of their lives - and would only move if their health declined severely or a partner died.
These people represent a significant proportion of New Zealand’s population. By 2028, more than one million Kiwis will be aged 65 or over2, raising important questions about how we support them to live safely and confidently in the homes they are keen to remain in. Those living alone are among the most vulnerable.
Ensuring the right support is in place will be key to enabling older Kiwis to keep the independence they want and deserve. New research from Hato Hone St John highlights the challenge. More than half of respondents live alone, a seven percent increase since 2016. Women are disproportionately represented: 62 percent of older women live alone. At the same time, 84 percent of those surveyed take medication for an ongoing condition, and one in four has experienced a fall or an unplanned hospital stay in the past 12 months.
The research, conducted in late 2025 among more than 1,300 New Zealanders (including those aged 65+ and adult children), reinforces the importance of talking things through as a family and putting practical plans in place so that people can continue living at home with confidence.
Because while independence is a strong priority, practical support isn’t always close at hand.
Only 42 percent of people with medical alarms say they have someone nearby who could help in a medical emergency. Yet nearly 60 percent of adult children believe their parents have support close at hand.
Adult children are more worried than parents are. While many older people feel confident, their families are often more anxious.
86 percent of adult children carry some worry, compared with 66 percent of people with medical alarms and 73 percent of non-users.
Living alone is the main reason for getting a personal medical alarm. The wearers are typically female, live in the North Island, have high social contact, and fair health. In contrast, those motivated by a medical condition are more likely to be males, aged 65–74, living with others and in poor health.
Hato Hone St John’s General Manager Telecare, Nick Coley, says the findings suggest an opportunity for more open family conversations and practical planning to bridge the gap.
“As a country, we need to shift the conversation. Families need to work together with each other and with health services” says Coley. “Supporting older people isn’t just about emergency response, it’s about building connected communities where people can stay healthy and age well at home.”
“For older people who want to stay in their own homes, reassurance matters. St John Medical Alarm users most strongly associate their alarms with peace of mind, greater confidence and a sense of protection,” he says. “More than a third of users (34 percent) say they are not concerned about experiencing a medical emergency, suggesting that alarms play a key role in reducing anxiety and supporting independent living. In addition, users of medical alarms are far more likely to act quickly on health warning signs. Non-users tend to only sometimes notice or act.
Many of the people surveyed paint a picture of quiet strength and determination, connected to their communities and proactive about their health.
For St John Medical Alarm user Betty King, having reliable support proved lifesaving. Betty is 84 and lives alone in One Tree Hill.
Late last year, she was sitting on a stool in her bath, which has a showerhead over it. When she stood up to wash her hair, she had a frightening fall and couldn’t get back up. The shower water kept running over her, eventually turning cold.
Panicked and unsure how the situation would end, she pressed the button on her St John Medical Alarm, which she was wearing around her neck. First Responders couldn’t hear anything from Betty, as she didn’t have her hearing aid in and couldn’t respond. They phoned Betty’s daughter Karen and arrived promptly.
Karen was shocked at the state of her Mum when she found her - she was battered and bruised, freezing cold, and had a racing heart. Both think Betty had a small blackout; she’s had them before. Karen says the alarm was her idea. “It gives me peace of mind. Mum lives by herself and anything can happen at any point.
“These days people are a lot more heads down and don’t have their ears and eyes open. On the day of Mum’s accident in the bath, no one heard her screaming. It could have ended very differently if Mum didn’t have her alarm.”
Betty tells her friends who don’t have a St John Medical Alarm to get one. “Why would you be without one? I worry about them. We are all in our 80s. I don’t want them to be dependent on me, and I don’t want to be dependent on them.”
For many, like Betty, services such as St John Medical Alarms are becoming part of a modern safety net, enabling independence rather than signalling vulnerability. A medical alarm service, alongside programmes such as Caring Caller, Waka Ora Health Shuttles and Falls Prevention, is helping older people stay connected to support when they need it, while giving whānau reassurance that help is never far away.
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https://www.nzseniors.co.nz/documents/new-zealand-seniors-series-quality-of-life-report-whitepaper.pdf