Experts have flagged concerns about the use of tracking devices for dementia patients, which was one of the measures proposed after the fatal disappearance of an elderly man from St Vincent de Paul last year.
An inquiry into how Carmelo Fino went missing from the State’s care home on June 28 revealed that the home for the elderly had never used the tracking devices it had purchased after their safety was questioned.
In his inquiry into Fino’s case, Judge Geoffrey Valenzia pinned the responsibility for Fino’s disappearance on eight staff members on duty that night.
In his recommendations, the retired judge suggested that the home should adopt a tracking device, which is “dignified, safe and medically and legally acceptable”.
Following Fino’s case, the minister for active ageing, Jo Etienne Abela, had said tagging of elderly residents was “definitely the way forward”.
But a public consultation about the use of the tracking devices revealed that, while acknowledging their benefits, the majority of experts in the field were wary of their use.
There also appeared to be some disagreement among staff at the St Vincent de Paul residence over who would be held responsible for the devices and place them on the patient.
A report on the consultation exercise, tabled in parliament recently in reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici, revealed that the device was meant to allow older persons safer freedom of movement rather than restrict them. The use of a tracking system will decrease the need for security services within the wards.
The use of a tracking system will decrease the need for security services within the wards
The Malta Dementia Society and the Malta Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics said there was ambiguity on the ethical issues related to the use of tracking devices for older persons and persons living with dementia.
There was lack of information on autonomy and informed consent among users, privacy and data protection issues, the risk of stigmatisation and the lack of freedom, among others.
The home’s management consultative board pointed out that technicalities on the system were not discussed, such as whether they will be used for persons with all levels of dementia, whether the technology will be used within the ward setting and, more importantly, who will be responsible for approving the tracking of a patient, especially if the person concerned does not have the mental capacity to take such decisions.
On the flip side, geriatric consultants working at the home stated that elderly residents who were mobile as well as those with mobility problems, especially those with dementia, stood to benefit from having such a device.
They will provide a sense of security for those older persons who are scared to go out alone. They agreed that the device does not affect their privacy and dignity and does not replace human care but was simply a very good additional tool.
The introduction of a tracking system was suggested following the fatal disappearance of an elderly resident from St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly.