Background: The deficits in the self-care of older people are often associated with a loss of autonomy and\nif care is not provided in the home environment by relatives or professional caregivers, then the self-care\ndeficits may result in the admission to a residential care facility (RCF). On the other hand, in industrialized\ncountries, the recruitment and long-term retention of professional caregivers are becoming increasingly\ndifficult. Technical aids such as sensor technology (SeTe) could solve this dilemma and improve the\nautonomy, the quality of life, and the safety of the residents.\nObjectives: To analyze the nursing problems targeted in the studies, where was the SeTe used, and why has\nit been chosen, the technical limitations of SeTe and whether the studies contain ethical considerations.\nDesign: This review followed the Cochrane Collaboration methods for systematic reviewing. The databases\nEBSCOhost (which includes CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO), Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and\nGoogle Scholar were searched.\nMethods: This critical systematic review analyzes publications on SeTe if the nursing problems referred\nto by scientists have been in connection with residents of RCFs. Studies that focused on participants in\nhospitals and home environments or those using gaming consoles or medical applications were excluded.\nResults: Of the 49 studies included, 31% used only accelerometers, 20% used cameras, and 29% combined\nvarious types of SeTe devices. The use of various SeTe was beneficial, possibly because the more perspective\ndata are combined. 51% preferred non-wearable SeTe devices, ââ?¦â? preferred the permanent surveillance by\nSeTe devices. The nursing problems which the research teams concentrated on were fall risk, immobility,\nagitation and sleep problems. Only Ã?¼ of the studies mention current or potential ethical considerations\nregarding the surveillance of residents by SeTe devices.\nConclusion: It is gratifying that the international interest in researching SeTe in RCFs has increased.\nEthical dilemmas were hardly discussed. The future use of SeTe in RCFs is certainly desirable and\nunavoidable, but consulting the residents, professional caregivers, and nursing scientists about their\nrequirements for useful and necessary technical surveillance first seems usefull.\nRelevance to Clinical Practice: Currently RCFs should continue to use the SeTe cautiously. Professional\ncaregivers in RCFs should be able to convey the growing self-image of nursing into similar SeTe research\nprojects.
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