The ethical issues linked to the use of assistive technology in
dementia care Ethical issues in practice In this document,
Alzheimer Europe presents its position and guidelines on the
ethical use of assistive technology (AT) for/by people with
dementia and proposes an ethical framework for decision making.
A brief overview is provided of the three main issues of
importance, namely dementia, assistive technology and ethics.
This is followed by a discussion of the various ethical issues
linked to the use of AT (based on an extensive review of the
literature) which addresses not only possible disadvantages and
ethical dilemmas but also looks at the positive implications of
the use of AT and how it can contribute towards respecting
certain ethical principles with regard to people with dementia.
Whilst we consider that assistive technology should be first and
foremost for the benefit of people with dementia, we highlight
where appropriate the implications, both positive and negative,
on informal and professional c