The Facts

Why reminders and daily check-ins can matter

Living independently can involve more than the risk of a fall. Medication schedules, changing routines, living alone and delays before someone realises something isn't right can all create challenges. Here are 10 published facts that help explain why MedClock combines reminders, acknowledgements and missed check-in alerts.

It's not only about asking for help

Personal alarms can be extremely valuable, but many rely on someone having the device with them and being able to activate it. MedClock provides another type of signal: an expected reminder or check-in that has not been acknowledged within a chosen grace period.

Traditional button alarm

“Something has happened, so I press for help.”

This can work extremely well when the device is available and the person is able and willing to activate it.

MedClock adds another signal

“The check-in we expected didn't happen.”

A missed scheduled acknowledgement can let connected family or carers know that it may be worth following up.

Falls & delayed assistance Medication & reminders Independent living & check-ins

10 facts worth knowing

Each fact links directly to an Australian Government source or published research so you can read the evidence for yourself.

Fact 01
253,800
Falls

Falls are Australia's leading cause of injury hospitalisation

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported approximately 253,800 fall-related hospitalisations in 2024–25. Falls represented 43.4% of injury hospitalisations and were the leading cause of injury hospitalisation.

Why it matters

A fall can happen quickly. Scheduled check-ins provide another opportunity for family to notice when someone's normal routine unexpectedly changes.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ↗
Fact 02
53%
Falls at home

More than half of hospitalised falls among older Australians occurred at home

AIHW's detailed analysis of Australians aged 65 and over found that 53% of hospitalised falls occurred at home in 2019–20.

Why it matters

Home is where people spend much of their time and where a wearable personal alarm may not always be kept on. MedClock stays in the home and doesn't need to be worn.

AIHW — Where did falls occur? ↗
Fact 03
82%
Falls while alone

In one study, most falls happened while the person was alone

A one-year prospective study of people aged over 90 recorded 265 falls. Of those falls, 82% occurred when the person was alone.

Why it matters

Family can't always be physically present. Scheduled check-ins can create simple touchpoints during the day where an acknowledgement — or lack of one — provides useful information.

BMJ prospective cohort study ↗
Fact 04
1+ HR
Time on the floor

Some older people can remain on the floor for an hour or more after falling

In the same study of people aged over 90, 30% of participants who experienced a fall spent an hour or more on the floor after at least one fall during the study period.

Why it matters

A missed MedClock check-in does not prove that a fall has occurred. But if an expected acknowledgement doesn't happen, family can be alerted and decide whether to follow up.

BMJ prospective cohort study ↗
Fact 05
97%
Personal alarms

Having access to a call alarm didn't always mean it was activated

In the study of people aged over 90, 38 falls occurred while someone was alone, unable to get up and remained on the floor for over an hour despite having access to a call alarm. In 37 of those 38 incidents — 97% — the alarm was not used to summon help.

Why it matters

Personal alarms remain valuable. MedClock adds a different mechanism by allowing family to also notice an expected action that hasn't occurred.

BMJ prospective cohort study ↗
Fact 06
40%
Medication

Many Australians aged 75+ regularly manage five or more medicines

AIHW reported that around 910,000 Australians aged 75 and over were regularly dispensed five or more PBS/RPBS medicines in 2025. That represented approximately 40% of Australians in this age group.

Why it matters

Medication routines can become increasingly complex. MedClock can provide scheduled medication reminders and display multiple items at the same reminder time.

AIHW — Polypharmacy in Australia 2025 ↗
Fact 07
219K
Complex schedules

219,000 Australians regularly received 10 or more medicines

AIHW reported that around 219,000 Australians were regularly dispensed 10 or more different medicines in 2025. This represented approximately 11% of people experiencing polypharmacy.

Why it matters

For some people, medication management involves far more than one tablet each morning. MedClock can show up to 10 reminder items at a single reminder time across multiple display screens.

AIHW — Number of medicines dispensed ↗
Fact 08
ROUTINE
Remembering medication

Changes to normal routines can make medication easier to forget

Research involving adults aged 60–80 found that participants reported forgetting medication more often when their activities deviated from their usual routine, such as when unexpected activities occurred. Many participants relied on multiple cues to help them remember.

Why it matters

MedClock creates a consistent visual and audible cue. Family can also add one-off reminders up to seven days ahead when something outside the normal routine is coming up.

Published medication-adherence study ↗
Fact 09
250K
Medicine safety

Medicine-related problems contribute to substantial hospital use

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Medicine Safety report estimates that around 250,000 Australians are hospitalised each year as a result of medication errors, inappropriate use, misadventure and interactions, with another 400,000 emergency department presentations.

Why it matters

MedClock doesn't prevent medication-related harm or confirm that medication was taken. It supports one part of medication management: providing scheduled reminders and recording whether a reminder was acknowledged.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia ↗
Fact 10
1 IN 4
Living independently

Many older Australians live alone

AIHW reports that in 2016, 25% of Australians aged 65 and over lived alone in a private dwelling. Among people aged 85 and over, the proportion was approximately 35%.

Why it matters

Living alone doesn't mean somebody needs constant monitoring. Scheduled check-ins can give family simple points of contact throughout the day without needing to continually call.

AIHW — Housing & living arrangements ↗

MedClock isn't designed to know what happened. It's designed to notice when something expected didn't happen.

A missed check-in could have many explanations. The person might be asleep, away from home, busy — or they may need assistance. MedClock gives connected family the information that the expected acknowledgement was missed so they can decide whether to follow up.

Button-based alarm “Did they ask for help?”
MedClock can also ask “Did the expected check-in happen?”

MedClock is about more than falls

A scheduled reminder can support medication, everyday routines and simple check-ins. The same one-button interaction can then give connected family useful information about whether the reminder was acknowledged.

Medication reminders

Schedule regular medication reminders and display multiple medication or reminder items when needed.

Everyday reminders

Reminders aren't limited to medication. They can also be used for meals, hydration, appointments, routines and general check-ins.

Family visibility

Connected family or carers can see acknowledgements and receive alerts when a scheduled reminder isn't acknowledged within the chosen grace period.

One button. Three simple outcomes.

1

Press once

Acknowledge a scheduled reminder or send a simple check-in to connected family or carers.

2

Don't respond

If a scheduled check-in or reminder isn't acknowledged within the chosen grace period, connected users can receive a missed acknowledgement notification.

5s

Hold for 5 seconds

Send an assistance request to selected connected family members or carers when help is needed.

Important: MedClock does not detect falls, diagnose injury, verify that medication has been taken or replace emergency medical services. A missed check-in does not necessarily mean something is wrong. Remote notifications require an internet connection and depend on the reminder schedule and grace period selected. Research statistics above relate to the specific populations and study periods described by their respective sources and should not be interpreted as an individual's personal risk.

See how MedClock works

Simple reminders and check-ins for the person at home, with more visibility for the family members and carers supporting them.

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