La géolocalisation de malades de type Alzheimer : entre urgence sociosanitaire et dilemme sociétal

The use of GPS tracking devices for locating and aiding Alzheimer's patients who wander has become a highly debated subject because of the dilemma between two incompatible principles: respect of the fundamental principles of personal privacy and the duty of medical and social authorities to assist patients with serious cognitive disorders. Should equipping patients with a tracking device be allowed, with the subsequent risk of a drift toward over-surveillance in a society where the disruption of privacy is commonplace, or should we stay with human surveillance without technical aid, which is utterly uncertain for particularly difficult cases and a barrier to innovation in gerontological practices fostered by communication technology? This article presents a way to resolve the dilemma based on the harmonization of the already existing methods and French national resources for enacting the solution.