New research from Hato Hone St John points to a growing gap between perception and reality when it comes to emergency support for older New Zealanders living at home.
Only 42 percent of current 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.
At the same time, adult children are more worried than their parents - 86 percent of adult children carry some worry, compared with 66 percent of people with medical alarms and 73 percent of non-users.
Together, the findings point to a generational disconnect. Many older New Zealanders believe immediate help isn’t always close by yet aren’t particularly anxious about experiencing a medical incident. Adult children, on the other hand, often assume support exists but remain far more anxious, underscoring how distance, responsibility and uncertainty shape perceptions of safety.
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 people can continue living at home with confidence.
Hato Hone St John 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.”
More than half of respondents live alone, a seven percent increase over the last decade. Women are disproportionately represented: 62 percent of older women live alone, and they make up 74 percent of everyone who does. At the same time, 84 percent of those surveyed are taking medication for an ongoing condition, and one in four has experienced a fall or an unplanned hospital stay in the past 12 months.
However, these figures don’t paint a picture of frailty, but of quiet strength and determination. Many of those surveyed see themselves as socially connected and active. They are engaged in their communities and proactive about their health.
Seven out of 10 New Zealanders also want to stay in their own homes, preferring to remain where they are for the rest of their lives and would only consider moving if their health declined severely or a partner died.1
These New Zealanders represent a significant and growing share of the population. By 2028, more than one million Kiwis will be aged 65 or over2, raising important questions about how to support an ageing population, particularly those who live alone and are most at risk in a medical emergency.
For St John Medical Alarm user Betty King, having reliable support provedlifesaving. 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 in case of emergency. “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.
Sources:
- https://www.nzseniors.co.nz/documents/new-zealand-seniors-series-quality-of-life-report-whitepaper.pdf
- https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/one-million-people-aged-65-by-2028
ENDS
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Along with the emergency ambulance service, Hato Hone St John operates a significant number of community health programmes and other activities which help build community resilience. They include Waka Ora Health Shuttles, ASB Caring Caller, St John Youth, and St John in Schools.
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Hato Hone St John also delivers event health services, medical alarm services, first aid training, and operates retail stores across the country.
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