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Ethical Implications of Technologies That “Support” Ageing with Dementia at Home

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European Data Protection: Coming of Age

Abstract

Progressive introduction of Assistive Technologies in our society, as a result of several years of European funding, has provided many researchers and companies with opportunities to developed new information and communication technologies aimed to overcome the digital divide of those at a greater risk of being left behind, as it can be the case of older people and people with disabilities. The great speed of evolvement of this type of technologies has accelerated the need of adapting the European and country specific legal frameworks in order to ensure the right of access but also the protection of privacy, dignity and integrity of those potential vulnerable users. This chapter addresses the consideration of major ethical principles and the practical implications of these principles when faced with technologies directed to older people in vulnerable conditions such as dementia and in the major domain of their privacy and intimacy, such as their own homes. We present explanatory examples on how these ethical issues can be addressed in the particular case of developing ICTs for older people with dementia at their homes, present examples of good practices performed in the past, and conclude with some remarks that may direct future research in the area.

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Correspondence to Unai Díaz-Orueta Ph.D. .

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Díaz-Orueta, U., Urdaneta, E. (2013). Ethical Implications of Technologies That “Support” Ageing with Dementia at Home. In: Gutwirth, S., Leenes, R., de Hert, P., Poullet, Y. (eds) European Data Protection: Coming of Age. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5170-5_7

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