Tuesday, 18 June 2019

Is There Room for Robot Technology in Caregiving?

We live in a day and age where technology is at the forefront of everything. From smartphones to tablets, WiFi to drones – it’s everywhere we look and advancing every single day – much like old age! It, therefore, isn’t so far-fetched to imagine a world where robots play a big role in caregiving for the elderly and to wonder whether this would be a positive or a negative thing. Believe it or not, while it is yet to be a reality, there are indeed many scientists currently hard at work on this exact type of project!

For many, the initial response to this possibility will be concern and disapproval. However, there are many instances in which robots could come in handy with regard to elderly care at home.

Support for Caregivers

There is no doubt that home health care for elderly clients is a full time job. Along with seeing to their needs, caregivers also need to keep the home clean and safe at all times. Robots could be a massive support to caregivers in this regard, ultimately freeing up more of their time to spend with the client and to go that extra mile, catering for more than just their physical needs, but their social needs too.

In many ways, robots could also act as emotional support for people who are caring for their elderly friends or relatives at home.

Socialisation

The sad reality is that there are many elderly people out there who do not have many friends or loved ones with whom to interact on a regular basis. In these instances, while obviously unable to fully make up for human interaction, robots could help to fill the gap somewhat. Furthermore, research has shown that “affective” robots have the power to encourage an increased interest in socialisation amongst the elderly who have begun to isolate themselves.

There is currently a robot seal called “Paro” that has the ability to sense human voices and make eye contact with the speaker. This intelligent robot seal can also ‘feel’ human touch and react in different ways. In a recent experiment, Paro was able to get an elderly woman with dementia (who had not spoken in over a year) to start reminiscing about her childhood and how she used to love looking after animals on her family’s farm.

Independence

There is also the hope that introducing robots/advanced technology in to home care could aid in ensuring that elderly clients remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. Ultimately extending the amount of time that they can be cared for at home rather than at a facility. Tools like robotic exoskeletons, for example, could help to make the elderly more mobile and voice recognition technology could be used to operate lights, televisions, and flush toilets etc.

The possibilities are endless and we look forward to seeing what

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