Friday, 21 Jun 2013 09:39 AM
By Nick TateSmall, low-cost GPS devices and other technologies now make it easy to track dementia patients who wander from home or residential facilities, and get lost. But should caregivers and healthcare providers use electronic-tracking devices, if the patients themselves don’t — or can’t — agree to be monitored?
That thorny question is informing a new debate on how to balance the safety and autonomy of Alzheimer’s disease patients and others with dementia, according to a new report on the pros and cons of electronic tracking in this week’s British Medical Journal, featuring two experts on the topic.
Rupert McShane, a geriatrics consultant at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, argues GPS trackers are not a cure-all, but allow lost patients to be found more quickly, reducing the risk of harm. He notes about half of all people with dementia who are missing for more 24 hours die or are seriously injured. Those who wander from home are also more likely to be subsequently placed in a residential facility.
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