Assistive technologies for people with dementia: Ethical considerations

Bennett, B; McDonald, F; Beattie, E; Carney, T; Freckelton, I; White, B; Willmott, L

Assistive technologies for people with dementia: Ethical considerations

Bennett, B McDonald, F Beattie, E Carney, T

Freckelton, I White, B

Willmott, L

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2017, 95 (11), pp. 749 - 755
Issue Date:: 2017-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bennett, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	McDonald, F	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Beattie, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Carney, T https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3612-5986	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Freckelton, I	en_US
dc.contributor.author	White, B https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3365-939X	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Willmott, L	en_US
dc.date.available	2017-03-29	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2017, 95 (11), pp. 749 - 755	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0042-9686	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127648
dc.description.abstract	© 2017, World Health Organization. All rights reserved. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 include a new target for global health: SDG 3 aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Dementia care of good quality is particularly important given the projected increase in the number of people living with the condition. A range of assistive technologies have been proposed to support dementia care. However, the World Health Organization estimated in 2017 that only one in 10 of the 1 billion or more people globally who could benefit from these technologies in some way actually has access to them. For people living with dementia, there has been little analysis of whether assistive technologies will support their human rights in ways that are consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim of this paper is to examine the relevant provisions of the convention and consider their implications for the use of assistive technologies in dementia care. Assistive technologies can clearly play an important role in supporting social engagement, decision-making and advance planning by people living with dementia. However, concerns exist that some of these technologies also have the potential to restrict freedom of movement and intrude into privacy. In conclusion, an analysis of the implications of assistive technologies for human rights laws is needed to ensure that technologies are used in ways that support human rights and help meet the health-related SDG 3.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Bulletin of the World Health Organization	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.2471/BLT.16.187484	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Tropical Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Dementia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Self-Help Devices	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Human Rights	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Disabled Persons	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	United Nations	en_US
dc.title	Assistive technologies for people with dementia: Ethical considerations	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	95	en_US
utslib.for	1801 Law	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	11	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	95	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017, World Health Organization. All rights reserved. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 include a new target for global health: SDG 3 aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Dementia care of good quality is particularly important given the projected increase in the number of people living with the condition. A range of assistive technologies have been proposed to support dementia care. However, the World Health Organization estimated in 2017 that only one in 10 of the 1 billion or more people globally who could benefit from these technologies in some way actually has access to them. For people living with dementia, there has been little analysis of whether assistive technologies will support their human rights in ways that are consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim of this paper is to examine the relevant provisions of the convention and consider their implications for the use of assistive technologies in dementia care. Assistive technologies can clearly play an important role in supporting social engagement, decision-making and advance planning by people living with dementia. However, concerns exist that some of these technologies also have the potential to restrict freedom of movement and intrude into privacy. In conclusion, an analysis of the implications of assistive technologies for human rights laws is needed to ensure that technologies are used in ways that support human rights and help meet the health-related SDG 3.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127648