This October, the MePACS Monitored Personal Alarm Service celebrates 35 years of helping people to feel safe and maintain their independence.
MePACS, originally called the Mt Eliza Personal Alarm Care Service, provides a monitored personal alarm service to Australians – including seniors, people living with disability or chronic conditions and lone workers.
MePACS offers immediate help at the press of a button by connecting clients to a dedicated Emergency Response Team.
When an alarm is activated, a trained MePACS operator will answer the call and assess the situation. They take appropriate action to assist the client, which may include calling the client's contacts or emergency services. This ensures that clients receive prompt and effective support when they need it most.
Founded in 1989 and expanding nationally in 2016, MePACS has grown significantly over the years, now serving more than 47,000 clients across Australia. On any given day, MePACS emergency response operators will respond to close to 2000 emergency alarm events, with more than 60 calls requiring escalation to emergency services.
"This anniversary is a significant milestone for MePACS," said Michelle McDade, MePACS General Manager. "Our service has improved the lives of thousands of Australians, providing them with peace of mind and the confidence to live independently. Our monitored personal alarm service gives family and friends reassurance about their loved ones' safety."
Ms McDade added that independent research has demonstrated the critical role MePACS plays in responding to community needs.
“Studies have shown that our service empowers clients to live independently for longer, reduces unnecessary ambulance attendance and hospital admissions and alleviates the burden on healthcare services,” she said.
Personal alarms have also been shown to be an effective strategy, when used appropriately, to prevent a ‘long lie’ after a fall. A "long lie" occurs when a person has fallen and spends an extended period on the floor, waiting for assistance.
Falls are a leading cause of injury, hospitalisation and death in Australia. About 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experience a fall each year. Rapid emergency response following a fall has been shown to help prevent further injury and improve physical and mental outcomes.
MePACS is a division of Peninsula Health – a public health service based on the Victorian Mornington Peninsula. As a part of the public health network, MePACS is committed to our person-centred approach to delivering the highest duty of care to clients.
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Notes to editors
For further information or interviews please contact Penelope Smits, MePACS Communications and Engagement Officer, at [email protected] or visit www.mepacs.com.au
Key Facts:
Founded in 1989 and expanding nationally in 2016, MePACS has grown significantly over the years, now serving more than 47,000 clients across Australia.
On any given day, MePACS emergency response operators will respond to close to 2000 emergency alarm events, with more than 60 calls requiring escalation to emergency services.
About us:
About MePACS:
MePACS, originally called the Mt Eliza Personal Alarm Care Service, is division of Peninsula Health that provides a monitored personal alarm service to Australians – including seniors, people living with disability or chronic conditions and lone workers.
The Mt Eliza Personal Alarm Care Service was founded in 1989 and operated from Peninsula Health’s Mount Eliza Centre. To begin with, MePACS was only available as a Victorian government-funded service, now known as Personal Alert Victoria, with 30 alarm units allocated to Victorians who were assessed as in need of the 24/7 service.
Due to the success of the service, and an evident need in the community for an emergency response service for vulnerable individuals who lived independently but didn’t have a support network to reliably call upon, PAV funding was increased and by 1994, MePACS was supporting 2000 clients.
MePACS began to expand the service to support people who were not eligible for PAV funding by offering a privately-funded service. By the year 2000, we had more than 8,500 clients across Victoria.
In 2016, MePACS became a national service and our client base has continued to grow; with our emergency response team currently supporting more than 47,000 clients across Australia.
MePACS’ client base has diversified and the service is available to all Australians – including those funded through the Commonwealth Home Support Program, NDIS or commonwealth Home Care Packages. We also support anyone who wishes to privately fund their own alarm, as well as lone workers and those who work out in the community through our duress alarms.
On any given day, MePACS emergency response operators will respond to close to 2000 emergency alarm events with more than 60 calls requiring escalation to emergency services. As a part of the public health network, we are committed to providing the highest duty of care to our clients, with any surplus revenue going towards funding healthcare research and initiatives.
About Personal Alert Victoria:
The Victorian Government-funded Personal Alert Victoria (PAV) program supports eligible isolated and frail seniors and people living with disability to assist them to continue living at home.
MePACS is the service provider for the PAV Program, supporting clients with emergency response as well as a welfare check-in through a daily call service.
The Victorian government funds approximately 23,500 eligible PAV clients throughout the state.
How the service works:
Our service is straightforward. Clients simply press the button on their alarm device to activate a call for help. A trained MePACS Emergency Response Operator will answer the call and speak with them through their alarm. Our emergency response team is trained to assess the client’s situation using the same key questions as Triple Zero – ensuring that if we do need to call emergency services, we can communicate the right information in the right order to enable rapid triage of the call.
Responding to community need:
Australia’s population is ageing, quickly. By 2026, more than 22 percent of Australians will be aged over 65, with the majority of seniors living independently at home.
Additionally, about a quarter of people living with disability live alone.
Through our service, MePACS offers a low-cost and effective solution to help manage the welfare of seniors and at-risk individuals, enhancing client safety and independence.
Extensive research has indicated that the use of MePACS monitored personal alarms gives our clients confidence to live independently for longer.
Further, research published in the Australian Health Review highlighted the role MePACS monitored personal alarms play in reducing unnecessary ambulance attendance and hospital admissions – helping to alleviate the burden placed on these services.
Researchers noted that “The health effects of personal alarm systems are well documented… MePACS resulted in approximately one-third of ambulance attendances being avoided [through the use of triage-based personal emergency response].”
Personal alarms have been shown to be an effective strategy, when used appropriately, to prevent a ‘long lie’ after a fall. A 'long lie' is a term for when a person has fallen and spends a long time on the floor, waiting for assistance.
Falls are a leading cause of injury, hospitalisation and death in Australia. About 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experience a fall each year.
Rapid emergency response following a fall has been shown to help prevent further injury and improve physical and mental outcomes.
Contact details:
Notes to editors
For further information or interviews please contact Penelope Smits, MePACS Communications and Engagement Officer, at [email protected] or visit www.mepacs.com.au