Is this big brother?

There are sometimes concerns about monitoring people, particularly if they do not have the capacity to consent. Just Checking uses movement sensors to indicate that someone is up and moving about their home. There are no cameras and you can’t actually see the person.

For vulnerable people who live alone, any concerns about this type of monitoring need to be balanced against risks to their safety and the need for support. For a person with memory problems, Just Checking can be less intrusive than other forms of intervention, such as several pop-in visits a day. Not all visits are welcomed, particularly if a person cannot remember care staff. Older people and their families tell us that they all get more out of a single longer social visit, where perhaps they have a meal, or go out together, than several short ‘checking’ visits.

Just Checking supports the principle of safeguarding against deprivation of liberty, brought in by the Mental Health Act 2007. People who lack the mental capacity to consent to care should be cared for in a way that does not limit their rights or freedom of action. For most people this means being able to stay in their own home for as long as possible if that is their wish, and to be supported in the least restrictive way. Just Checking provides a clearer picture of a person’s capabilities in their own home so that they can be supported in a way which enables them to do as much as possible for themselves.

You can download our Ethics sheet, which discusses this in more detail.

Permission to install Just Checking in a person’s home should be sought, and you may need to judge if a person has mental capacity for the decision.  A simplified explanation may help the person to understand. This downloadable leaflet may be useful.

You might also be interested in some of the press articles in the news section.