Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Int Psychogeriatr. 2012 Mar;24(3):358-66. doi: 10.1017/S1041610211001888. Epub 2011 Oct 3.
Problems with out-of-home mobility are among the more common behavioral disturbances in dementia. Today people with dementia can be aided by easily accessible assistive technologies, such as tracking devices using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Attitudes toward these technologies are still inconclusive and their use with people with dementia raises ethical concerns. The lack of ethical consensus on the use of GPS for people with dementia underlines the need for clearer policies and practical guidelines.
Here we summarize qualitative and quantitative findings from a larger research project on the ethical aspects of using GPS for tracking people with dementia.
The findings are formulated in a list of recommendations for policy-makers as well as for professional and family caregivers. Among other points, the recommendations indicate that the preferences and best interests of the people with dementia should be central to the difficult decisions required in dementia care. Further, no-one should be coerced into using tracking technology and, where possible, people with dementia must be involved in the decision-making and their consent sought.
The decision whether, when and how to use GPS for tracking people with dementia should be made at the time of diagnosis jointly by the person with dementia, his/her family and professional caregivers. This decision should be made in formal structured meetings facilitated by a professional team.
非居家移动问题是痴呆症患者中较为常见的行为障碍之一。如今，痴呆症患者可以借助易于获取的辅助技术得到帮助，例如使用全球定位系统（GPS）的追踪设备。人们对这些技术的态度仍不确定，其在痴呆症患者中的使用引发了伦理问题。在使用 GPS 追踪痴呆症患者方面缺乏伦理共识，这凸显了制定更明确的政策和实际准则的必要性。
本文总结了一项关于使用 GPS 追踪痴呆症患者的伦理方面的更大研究项目的定性和定量研究结果。
研究结果以一系列针对政策制定者以及专业和家庭护理人员的建议的形式呈现。除其他要点外，这些建议表明，痴呆症患者的偏好和最佳利益应成为痴呆症护理所需的困难决策的核心。此外，任何人都不应被迫使用跟踪技术，在可能的情况下，必须让痴呆症患者参与决策并征求他们的同意。
是否以及如何在追踪痴呆症患者时使用 GPS 的决定，应在患者被诊断时由患者本人、其家人和专业护理人员共同做出。该决定应在由专业团队协助的正式结构化会议中做出。
