Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is now being used to prevent and detect falls in senior living facilities, according to “In Senior Homes, A.I. Technology Is Sensing Falls Before They Happen,” an October 29, 2025 article by Joyce Cohen in The New York Times.

Read the full article, subscription needed: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/realestate/in-senior-homes-ai-technology-is-sensing-falls-before-they-happen.html.

Although the article focuses on the deployment of this technology in high-end facilities, as with many technologies, it is likely to become less expensive and more widely available as time goes on. Especially because it appears to be working: at one facility in New York City, there has been a 40% drop in falls since an A.I. fall-detection system was introduced several years ago. An executive with another facility described the “immediate impact” of the technology in the form of reduced hospital visits.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths for people over 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At one facility profiled in the article, the A.I. system uses sensors mounted high on the walls that monitor the movements of the people inside a given unit. The sensors learn trends that can predict a fall and store data about movements to detect aberrations. They also send real-time information to staff, who can respond immediately if a fall actually occurs. In this regard, A.I. offers an advantage over traditional fall-detection systems, like fitness watches and bathroom cords, which may not be helpful for people who are injured or unconscious. A.I. can also pick up on changes that may be undetectable to the human eye, like decreases in stride length, which can increase the risk of falls.

The article also covers the privacy implications of A.I. fall-detection systems. These systems do have safeguards to address privacy, and a number of states have laws about monitoring in assisted living facilities. With appropriate privacy safeguards, this has the potential to be a highly beneficial application of A.I. Stay tuned!