Science minister Malcolm Wicks yesterday defended his suggestion that satellite technology could be used to track vulnerable older people, but said the government had no plans to pursue the idea. His comments on Wednesday, when he was questioned by the Commons science select committee about potential uses of satellite technology, attracted immediate criticism from charities. Help the Aged said the proposal smacked of Big Brother. Speaking at a meeting of specialists on ageing at the Royal Society yesterday, Mr Wicks said he had been surprised by the severity of some of the criticisms, and called for a public discussion. He said satellites should be used to do more than monitor crops, track goods and help drivers navigate. "Should we not also use them for things which are socially more important? Improvements in sanitation and medical understanding over the past 200 years have extended life expectancy dramatically. Rising rates of obesity may yet see life expectancy fall, but if not, age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and other dementias are likely to become an increasing burden for health services and home carers. There are about 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, a figure set to riso e to more than 1m in 20 years and to 1.7m by 2050.

So with all these do we think that this proposal of introducing satellites for monitoring elderly is a necessary act?? Well if someone asks me i would say this is a good initiative but this cannot be compromised with the national progress. Satellites are a nation's development and growth tool. We cannot simply use them for monitoring people. I mean if old people are really needed to be monitored, arent people sufficient?? Simply because they wander off is not the answer to employ satellites to track them or monitor them. Satellites involve lot of investments and we cannot simply employ this investment for monitoring certain groups at costs of nation's development. I think i may be harsh, but i am sure i am totally correct. If we analyse the last points in the paragraph above we can see how we need the satellites for improving the conditions, so we cannot use such ridiculous ideas of monitoring oldies by expensive satellites.

More information on the article can be found at: http://society.Guardian.Co.Uk/longtermcare/story/0,,2061630,00.Html