Technology from the Perspective of Care

Abstract

This paper examines nursing care technology from the perspective of ethics of care. When considering the future sustainability of the long-term care, it is necessary to consider the use of technology from the perspective of the care values, rather than simply narrowing down to the issue of improving productivity and efficiency due to human resource shortages and financial problems. In pursuit of contextualizing technology in long-term care, the paper argues that Illich’s theory of “tools for conviviality” is suggestive in figuring out what kind of technology is appropriate and how to implement it. Taking a comprehensive view of the older people’s life is another crucial point in developing/introducing care technology. Then the paper investigates the welfare governance of long-term care technology policy process, and finally argues that universal and localized care technology can be a future vision of care technology.