Fall detectors and smart home technology for older people: what helps, what it costs, who pays

A fall detector recognises a fall automatically and raises an emergency call even if the person can no longer press the button. It comes as a wearable sensor (wristband, clip, pendant) or as a room sensor on the wall or ceiling. With a care grade, German care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) covers the basic home emergency call (Hausnotruf), with a basic tariff of €27 net a month since 1 April 2026, but fall sensors and smart home technology are usually paid privately. No system detects every fall reliably, so sensors add to the panic button rather than replace it.

Wearable sensor or room sensor?

Feature	Wearable sensor	Room sensor
How it works	Acceleration sensor detects a typical fall movement	Radar, infrared or camera detects position and movement in the room
Where it works	Wherever it is worn	Only in the monitored room
Requirement	Must be worn and charged	Fixed installation, usually mains power
Typical weakness	Taken off, for example in the shower or at night	Blind spots; several rooms need several sensors
Privacy	Records the person’s movements	Records what happens in the room; cameras are particularly sensitive

A wearable suits people who wear it reliably. A room sensor can make sense in the bathroom or bedroom, where falls are common and wearables tend to be taken off. Ask for room sensors that work without camera images.

Other technology for more safety

Inactivity alarm

An inactivity alarm reacts when no activity is detected for a set time. This can be a daily check button on the home emergency call that must be pressed once a day, or a motion or door sensor. If there is no activity, the monitoring centre calls and sends help if needed. This also catches emergencies where nobody pressed the button.

Cooker shut-off

A cooker shut-off device switches the hob off if it runs unattended for too long or detects heat and smoke. It is a real relief for relatives when forgetfulness begins. Installation should be done by a qualified electrician.

Motion-activated lights

Night lights with motion sensors switch on as soon as someone gets up, for example on the way from bed to the bathroom. Good lighting is one of the simplest ways to prevent falls. See our fall prevention checklist for more tips.

Smoke alarms with forwarding

Some systems can link smoke alarms to the home emergency call so that an alarm gets through even if nobody reacts. Ask your provider which detectors it can connect.

Who pays for the technology?

Technology	Care insurance	Note
Basic home emergency call	Yes, with a care grade and if conditions are met	Basic tariff €27 net a month, depending on the provider’s contract with the fund
Fall sensor as add-on	Usually no	Surcharge usually paid privately
Mobile emergency call with GPS	Usually no	See mobile emergency call
Permanently installed aids (e.g. cooker shut-off)	Possible in individual cases as a home adaptation	Up to €4,180 per measure; ask the fund first
Motion lights, smart home hub	Usually no	Paid privately

Under § 40(4) of the Social Code Book XI (SGB XI), care insurance funds support home adaptations (wohnumfeldverbessernde Maßnahmen) from care grade 1 with up to €4,180 per measure. Whether a particular device qualifies is decided by the fund case by case, so apply before you commission any work. Our guide to the home adaptation grant has the details, and you can read the legal text of § 40 SGB XI (in German).

If there is no care grade yet, applying is often worthwhile: it is the precondition for the fund to cover the basic home emergency call. Our guide to home emergency call costs explains the refund.

What to look for when choosing

• Reliability: ask how the provider handles false alarms and whether the centre calls back first.
• Connection: sensors should report to a monitoring centre staffed around the clock or to relatives who are reliably available.
• Power cuts and wireless: find out what happens during a power cut or with weak Wi-Fi.
• Ease of use: the less the person has to set up, the better.
• Contract: check the term, notice period and costs for maintenance and batteries.
• Trial: test the technology for a few weeks before equipping more rooms.

Privacy and consent

Sensors and smart home devices record when someone gets up, uses the bathroom or leaves the home. This is sensitive data and, where it relates to health, specially protected under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Keep these points in mind:

1. The person concerned is informed and agrees.
2. Only data needed for safety is recorded.
3. It is clear who has access and how long data is kept.
4. Cameras are used only if alternatives are not enough and the person expressly agrees.

If the person can no longer consent, for example with advanced dementia, the person holding power of attorney or the legal guardian decides in their interest. This guide does not replace legal or care advice.

Bottom line

Fall detectors and smart home technology can make living alone safer if they fit daily life and are accepted. Start with the basic home emergency call, add technology where the risk is highest and settle costs and privacy in advance. More articles are in our emergency call and technology section.