Paper short abstract:

The paper will show how older people using telecare devices grapple with images of autonomous older people which are present in current political discourses and/or how they try to resist their use. The devices will also be discussed as a part of “relational autonomy”.

Paper long abstract:

Political institutions and producers promise that Ambient Assisted Living technologies help old people live an "independent" and "self-determined" life. Yet, what do "self-determination" and "independence" mean for older people when they use these devices? And how do these technologies shape their life in old age, if at all? This paper presents preliminary findings from ethnographic research which was realized while different telecare devices were being installed in the homes of older people in Germany. Firstly, it will show how older people using these technologies grapple with images of autonomous older people which are present in current political discourses and/or how they try to resist the use of these devices. Secondly the monitoring devices will be discussed as a part of care arrangements, using the concept of "relational autonomy" (Sherwin 1998; Mackenzie/Stoljar 2000).