Safety for Singles: Silence Alert Explanation

Problem & social context

In the Netherlands, a growing number of people live independently and alone. For this group, it's normal to have several days without direct contact with family, neighbors, or colleagues. When someone dies suddenly or becomes seriously unwell in such a situation, it can take days or even weeks before this is noticed. In current practice, discovery often occurs by chance: through neighbors who smell something suspicious, a pile-up of mail, or a failure to show up at work.

Existing solutions, such as personal alarm buttons, are primarily reactive: they require the user to be able to perform an action. In situations where someone suddenly dies, becomes unconscious, or is unable to act, this type of solution fails by definition. Currently, there is no widely available, easily accessible solution that automatically recognizes unusual silence as a signal.