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This paper investigates qualitatively what happens when couples facing a spectrum of options must arrive at consensual choices together. We conducted an observational study of couples experiencing memory concerns (one or both) while the partners engaged in the process of reviewing and selecting “Safety Setting” options for online activities. Couples’ choices tended to be influenced by a desire to secure shared assets through mutual surveillance and a desire to preserve autonomy by granting freedom in social and personal activities. The availability of choice suits the uneven and unpredictable process of memory loss and couples’ acknowledged uncertainty about its trajectory, leading them to anticipate changing Safety Settings as one or both of them experience further cognitive decline. Reflecting these three decision drivers, we conclude with implications for a design system that offers flexibility and adaptability in variety of settings, accommodates the uncertainty of memory loss, preserves autonomy, and supports collaborative management of shared assets. 

Older adults are rapidly increasing their use of online services such as banking, social media, and email - services that come with subtle and serious security and privacy risks. Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are particularly vulnerable to these risks because MCI can reduce their ability to recognize scams such as email phishing, follow recommended password guidelines, and consider the implications of sharing personal information. Older adults with MCI often cope with their impairments with the help of caregivers, including partners, children, and professional health personnel, when using and managing online services. Yet, this too carries security and privacy risks: sharing personal information with caregivers can create issues of agency, autonomy, and even risk embarrassment and information leakage; caregivers also do not always act in their charges' best interest. Through a series of interviews conducted in the US, we identify a spectrum of safeguarding strategies used and consider them through the lens of 'upside and downside risk' where there are tradeoffs between reduced privacy and maintaining older adults' autonomy and access to online services.