Supportive Technologies for Caregiving and Aging in Place: Risks and Ethical Considerations
Aging Well series
The universe of digital technologies to support caregiving and aging in place continues to expand. Awareness of the potential risks of these supports is as important as is awareness of their presumed benefits.
As exciting as the range of technology to support caregiving and aging in place is, it is also important to be aware of potential privacy and ethical considerations in its use. In this presentation, Professor Clara Berridge (UW Social Work) will discuss why it is important for families to talk about and make decisions regarding the use of these tools, and she will provide strategies for how to make sure those discussions are productive.
Dr. Berridge will present research with experts and older adults that describes the predominant risks as well as the diverging perspectives among family members about what’s appropriate. Attendees will understand the importance of making decisions about technology use together, in order to respect both privacy and autonomy.
Before attending this session, you may wish to attend or view the video of our March 26 session, Exploring Technologies for Caregiving and Aging in Place.
Speakers
Clara Berridge
Associate Professor, Katherine Hall Chambers Scholar, UW School of Social Work
Core Faculty, Disability Studies Program
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology
Adjunct Associate Professor, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
Email: clarawb@uw.edu
Clara Berridge’s research focuses on the ethical and policy implications of digital technologies used in elder care. She studies data and information technologies used in care, such as remote monitoring technologies and social robots, as well as the surveillance of care workers. Across projects, she’s often thinking about privacy, power, and decision making about technology use. Dr. Berridge has also studied positive aging paradigms and nursing home culture change. She recently developed Let’s Talk Tech, an online tool to help people living with mild dementia participate knowledgeably in decisions about technology use in their care.