Ethical Challenges by Using Assistive Technologies in Dementia Home Care – Potential of Advance Care Planning

Abstract

Recently, an increasing number of technologies have been developed to assist in the support of people in need of care. People with dementia (PwD) are also potential users of such systems when used at home. The consequences of the illness for clients and their families and the use of technical systems in the home setting have resulted in specific ethical challenges. A difficulty lies in the clients’ expressing their will to use the systems and in the dependency of ethical risks on the actual system and its direct application. Integrating technical scenarios into the discussion about future care within the concept of Advance Care Planning offers a potential to address ethical problems prospectively. Furthermore, it can promote client-centered care of PwD and their families with regard to the use of assistance systems. Questions remain regarding the consequences of non-use of assistance systems and their impact on the home care situation.