ABSTRACT
This chapter considers technology developments in general referring where relevant to their impact upon the lives of elderly people. It examines the development of the technology of surveillance equipment for elderly persons since the 1970’s. Modern society is constantly undergoing change–a change which is never predictable. Home-based emergency response systems for the elderly benefit enormously from technological developments. Development in two-way emergency response systems for elderly persons in Denmark can be traced back to the early 1970’s. The development of two-way communication systems made it possible to link emergency response systems to professionally manned emergency centres where the nursing staff could contact the elderly person, establish in advance what the need was and respond accordingly. The chapter looks at the development in the elderly population and especially at the development in the need for specialized housing and-as the situation stands today-specialized emergency response systems as well as other forms of care and service.
