Shifting the Burden of Care
With aging populations, countries around the world are set to face shortages of elder care workers. In response, there has been growing investment in robotics designed to improve the lives of senior citizens.
There are two main types of elder care robots: those that automate physical tasks and socially assistive robots. Certain manufacturers and lawmakers hope to implement these technologies on a wide scale to reduce physical injuries and cognitive decline in older adults, allowing them to live happier lives while decreasing the burden on human caregivers.
Prototypes
Examples of robots that automate physical tasks include:
- robotic exoskeletons, which can help people get in and out of bed, sit on chairs or the toilet, and prevent falls;
- robots that transport items throughout hospitals, delivering medicine, meals, supplies and tests; and
- robots that perform various small tasks, such as disinfecting surfaces, opening doors, carrying objects and pressing elevator buttons.
There are also socially assistive robots, which have the following abilities:
- entertainment, such as telling jokes, playing bingo and leading karaoke;
- reading human emotions and socializing with them accordingly; and
- mimicking playful animals, providing the elderly with a companion.
Japan’s Experience
While the developments in this field have been encouraging, it is unclear whether these machines can be successfully integrated into elder care settings. If we use Japan’s efforts as a case study, it appears that doing so may be an uphill battle.
Japan has been developing elder care robots for over two decades, with more than $300 million spent funding research and development by the national government alone. However, integration of these machines has not been smooth sailing. Two main factors have influenced the slow uptake.
First, the robots fail to save labour, and tend to create more work for caregivers. Care robots require transportation from room to room, proper storage, maintenance, cleaning and constant monitoring. The time and effort that caregivers spend on the machines could otherwise be spent interacting with care patients or nursing home residents.
Second, many of the robots fail to fulfill their intended purposes. Some physical assistance robots do not adequately perform their tasks, such as robotic exoskeletons that can only comfortably lift certain people. Some social assistance robots also fail to reduce the repetitive behaviour patterns of those with severe dementia. Examples include a robotic seal that confused certain residents and caused them to become obsessed with it, and an entertainment robot that could only perform a small set of songs and exercise routines, causing boredom after just a few weeks.
What’s Next?
Despite Japan’s rocky experience, interest in care robots continues. The European Union invested €85 million ($103 million) in a research and development program called “Robotics for Ageing Well” between 2015 and 2020. The UK government announced an investment of £34 million ($48 million) for social assistance robots in 2019, although that Government has since been replaced and the status of the proposed investment is now unclear. Hopefully, continued investment and technological progress can spark the creation of more advanced machines that carry out their intended purposes and successfully save labour.
Have a wonderful day,
Suzana Popovic-Montag & James Macfarlane.