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Tag-a-granny satellite plan
Last updated at 11:21am on 19.04.07Plans to tag old people so they can be tracked by satellite received a mixed reaction today.
Science Minister Malcolm Wicks said technology could be used to help families keep tabs on frail or elderly relatives.
He said tags, similar to those used to monitor criminals, could help give more freedom to those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Kate Jopling, of Help the Aged, said that at first glance the proposal smacked of "Big Brother". But she said the potential of new technology to help vulnerable older people should not be dismissed.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, warned of "gimmicks" which are designed to replace expensive care.
She said: "A debate about better care for the elderly is a good thing but technical gimmicks often provide cheap and quick fixes rather than dignified and possibly expensive care."
Mr Wicks said the idea of using satellite monitoring to benefit society should be discussed.
He said: "We've got an ageing population with many people frail and many suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer's.
"How can we get the balance right so that these people have the freedom to live their lives, to go out in the community and go shopping?"
Earlier, Mr Wicks told a Commons committee that with an increasingly frail and elderly population, many families were worried about vulnerable relatives.
Ms Jopling added: "Help the Aged wants to see more older people with dementia enabled to live as independently as possible in the community, and this might be a way of achieving this whilst minimising some of the risks.
"The key issue would of course be the involvement and consent of the individual, and their family and carers, to ensure that the technology means better care - not just care that's cheaper or more convenient."
There are about 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, which mainly affects older people. A large proportion of those have Alzheimer's disease.
That figure is set to rise to more than one million in 20 years and to 1.7 million by 2050 - an increase of 154% over the next 45 years.
Dementia costs the country £17 billion per year - equivalent to £539 per second or £46.6 million per day.
In February, experts warned that the Government had no plans to deal with the problem and faced a crisis in medical and social care.
Reader views (8)
those people who are obviously adverse to tagging vunerable people have perhaps not gone through the mental anguish of having a loved one go missing.as a carer of an active dimentia sufferer,not knowing where they are is extremely worrying .its not about stealing their privacy or spying its about caring for those in need of care and ensuring their safety so they can be found before harm befalls them.No matter how consientious you may be we were never gifted with eye's in the back of our heads. .
- Dave Ferrar, scarborough north yorkshire
An elderly man was trying to find a place to sit and observe the Olympic Games, as he went to each section. All the other Greeks laughed as he tried to make his way through. Some ignored him. Upon entering the Spartan section all the Spartans stood and offered the elderly man their seats. Suddenly the entire stadium applauded. All the Greeks knew what was the right thing to do, but the Spartans were the only ones who did it.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
Another brilliant Labour idea...
- Georgie, London
Perhaps we need to start tagging these ministers who come up with these bizarre ideas. Elderly people are still people in their own right, they've not done anything to deserve tagging. In fact in contrast there should be more money devoted to caring and looking after them as opposed to this very cold idea of tagging them like a criminal.
- Suzie, Hampstead
I cannot believe that this is even being thought about. The mere fact that my tax money is going on something as ridiculous as this sickens me. I begin to wonder who is running the government - Ministers or the Looney Tunes?
- Sarah Evans, Wimbledon
An ingenius idea. We should also tag those with no legs (with no prosthetic limbs), those who are bed-ridden and sick, snails, tortoises, slugs, sloths, babies up to a year old (young babies of any kind really), and all thsoe other things I cannot think of right now that pose no threat to society whatsoever. If they are super sick, they shouldn't be let out in the first place - so what's the need for tagging? I despair, I honestly do.
- Queen Beena, Wembley
I wouldn't be happy for my grandparents to be tagged in this manner and I think it would be heartbreaking for family to watch them struggling at home on their own too. I think elderly need more proper care from the NHS, afterall they've all put into it all their lives.
- Ted, Putney
I think this idea is absolutely deplorable. These vulnerable members of society needs care from humans, not thier every move tagged. Surely if the families of the elderly were so concerned that they may hurt themselves then they would be living with the family or in a care home. I'm aghast at this idea.
- Steph, Holloway
