Search

in this study we examined the ethical aspects of the use of the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to track people with dementia. The findings are based on qualitative data gathered from focus groups of family and professional caregivers. The most important theme was the need to balance patients' need for safety with the need to preserve their autonomy and privacy. The main potential benefit of the use of GPS was related to the peace of mind of the caregivers themselves. The findings also suggest that caregivers' views change according to the locus of responsibility of the caregivers for the safety of people with dementia. The caregivers give preference to patients' safety more than autonomy when they are responsible for the patients. When the patients are under the responsibility of other caregivers, they give preference to patients' autonomy more than their safety. Overall, the variety and the depth of the views of different stakeholders toward the use of electronic tracking for people with dementia presented in this article provide a meaningful contribution to the ethical debate on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the findings of a study on the social networks of poor people in the U.S. In this article, the authors first review the literature of social networks of the poor. Then, using data from a national sample of adults in the U.S., they empirically examine the state of social networks of low-income people. In conclusion, they consider the significance of social networks in determining policy and designing practice with the poor. The relationship of income to social networks and support as reflected in the literature is complex and occasionally contradictory. Some researchers consider low income a strong indicator of social network use. The study addressed the state of social networks among the poor. Specifically, the study compared the networks of low-income groups with networks of other income levels. The hypothesis was that the social networks of the poor are smaller and less available than the networks of the non-poor and provide less satisfaction in terms of support.