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Just because you live alone doesn’t mean you need to feel alone – more and more people live alone now whether they are young or old. With buddi you know that you can ask for help at the press of a button.
Many elderly people are too frightened to leave their own front door. They may never find it again - It is frightening for anyone to find themselves lost in a strange unfamiliar place. But for 750,000 Alzheimer’s sufferers in the UK this is exactly what it can feel like the moment they step outside their front door. This fear robs them of their independence. It turns their homes into prisons, it creates stress for them and their carers.
Give your kids the freedom and independence - protect them 24/7 - Your kids need their own space to grow up. When it comes to their personal safety and security it's not practical to stay with our children 24/7 and besides kids need their own space.
The ethical considerations
Many people, particularly the vulnerable in society, can benefit from the assistive technology offered by buddi. However, for some there are also important ethical issues to consider before using this type of technology. In this section we explore buddi’s position on these issues.
Freedom - People should be free to move when and where they wish, and should not be monitored.
- According to the Alzheimer’s Society, 60% of Alzheimer’s sufferers are likely to wander, with 40% getting lost at some stage in their illness.
- Using the buddi provides peace of mind to the carer or family member. buddi gives Alzheimer’s sufferers extra independence and freedom which they may not otherwise have.
Consent - Someone with Alzheimer’s may not be able to say clearly whether they wish to wear a buddi or not.
- buddi is voluntary and should only be used by those suffering from early-stage Alzheimer’s when they are still well enough to give consent, helping them continue to lead a relatively “normal” life for as long as possible.
- It should not be introduced for the first time to sufferers who are in the later stages of the illness and who are not in a position to give consent. Often sufferers at this late stage are better suited to full-time care.
Stigma - The buddi user may feel they are being "tagged" or that it "de-personalises" them.
- Once the clear benefits of buddi are explained many potential users realise it is not like a criminal “tag”. It is worn voluntarily and is there to help increase freedom, not hinder it.
- Alzheimer’s sufferers may also feel frightened or embarrassed to ask for help from strangers because they have become lost and may feel frightened. Using buddi, sufferers can be found by their carers before panic sets in, or are able to alert the emergency support service themselves using the panic buttons.
- It allows greater freedom for buddi users to take part in everyday activities.
Technology - It is too complicated for the elderly and carers to use.
- The whole buddi system has been designed to be simple to use by both the user and the carer. The device itself has no moving parts and is worn simply on a belt, bunch of keys, or a lanyard.
- Carers can check its location via an easy-to-use website from a PC or a mobile phone with telephone access.
- Alternatively, the buddi 24/7 telephone service is staffed by operators with experience in talking to the elderly or those who might prefer not to use a computer.
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