IAS introduces application to monitor elderly movement and prevent solitary deaths

To address the growing number of senior citizens passing away alone at home, the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) will introduce a new mobile application to track their movements.

According to IAS, this app will monitor the activity levels of registered individuals and automatically alert authorities if no activity is detected for a specified period, signaling a potential need for assistance.

According to the latest report, a total of 74 people aged 60 or above had been found deceased in their residences last year. Some cases went unnoticed for an extended period due to the individuals living alone without regular interaction or visits.

This concerning trend, coupled with the increasing attention from the local community, has convinced the bureau to launch an app that monitors users’ movements by tracking their step count.

The app is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of this year and will initially undergo a trial period in an elderly housing estate before becoming publicly available for all elderly individuals in Macau. RM