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Big brother or brave new world? Telecare and its implications for older peoples independence and social inclusionThe Open University
University College London Telecare is advocated as a means of effectively and economically delivering health and social care services in peoples homes, using technology that can monitor activities and safety, provide virtual home visiting, activate reminder systems, increase home security and convey information. Significant planned investment by central government will be rewarded if telecare results in fewer older people requiring institutional care, and more remaining independent in their own homes longer than would otherwise be the case. This paper, which reports on focus group work with older people, carers and professional stakeholders, considers key issues rarely addressed in provider-led studies. Emerging social policy implications centre on the potential impact of telecare on service users autonomy and privacy and, controversially, as a replacement for human support. We argue that the development of relevant policy and practice in respect of telecare has to pay close and careful attention to concerns held by all stakeholders, particularly in regard to individual choice, surveillance, risk-taking and quality of service.
Key Words: choice human contact privacy surveillance technology
Critical Social Policy, Vol. 26, No. 4,
888-909 (2006) This article has been cited by other articles:
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