Original scientific paper
Ethical and Social Aspects of Ambient Assisted Living in Croatia as Perceived by the Elderly, Nurses and Engineers: A Qualitative Study
Terezija Gložinić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0219-756X
; University Department of Nursing Catholic University of Croatia Zagreb, Croatia
*
Anto Čartolovni
orcid.org/0000-0001-9420-0887
; Digital Healthcare Ethics Laboratory (Digit-HeaL) Catholic University of Croatia Zagreb, Croatia
Odilon-Gbènoukpo Singbo
orcid.org/0000-0002-2154-8935
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Background: One of the major problems affecting the Western world is the rising increase of the elderly population. Consequently, society is looking to develop care and support systems for the elderly. Technological systems are being developed that aim to improve the quality of life of older people in order to afford them independence and autonomy. One such tool is Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), which implements various technologies into the homes of the elderly, contributing to their safety. The use of such technologies may lead to various social or ethical problems. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the social and ethical issues of AAL and to understand the perceptions of the stakeholders in Croatia (the elderly, nurses and engineers) in detail. Methods: We conducted qualitative research through semistructured interviews with 17 participants from Croatia among three categories of people who could be potential stakeholders in the AAL system: nurses, engineers and the elderly. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. The thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of fi ve nurses, six engineers, and six elderly individuals were interviewed. This study showed that there is a need to use AAL technology to improve the care and quality of life of the elderly. The participants were concerned about the potential of such technology to deprive the elderly of important human components of care, such as interpersonal warmth and touch, which might result in social isolation. The ethical issue of privacy breach due to constant video surveillance was a concern expressed by all the participants. Conclusion: The greatest concerns regarding AAL found in this study were a lack of human contact, i.e., dehumanization of care, and the threat to privacy due to data collection using sensors and video surveillance.
Keywords
Ambient Assisted Living; smart homes; privacy; human contact; ethics; social isolation
Hrčak ID:
334375
URI
Publication date:
2.6.2024.
Visits: 93 *