Robots: The Future of Elderly Care

In the 2004 movie, I-Robot, we see the robot-hating protagonist Del Spooner (played by Will Smith) express his shock and disappointment in seeing a robot making a pie for his grandmother in her apartment. And I am sure many of us will share the same reaction. After all, it's not normal. And it's definitely not human.

But despite whatever apprehensions you have against robots (or fears of robots taking over the world), the robotic revolution has already begun. Robots are already playing a key role in the manufacturing industry. And we've already been introduced to robots who can hoover the floor and cut the grass. Soon, we'll have robots driving cars on our road. (Google have already tested a self-driving car in the US).

But what about elderly care? Should we look to robots to help our elder relatives bake a pie? Well, it seems like we're also heading towards this direction too.

Why Are We Looking to Robots For Elderly Care?

The idea of looking at robotic solutions in elderly care comes down to current supply and demand. The population of over-65 is set to increase and we have a shortage of care workers.  

In Japan, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 1 million caregivers by 2035.

And in the US, they are also facing a similar dilemma with the percentage of people over the age of 65 due to rise by approximately 26% by 2050. 

Also, the cost of elderly care is a financial burden. Combining this with staff shortages, there is a need to explore and review other cost-effective methods that can help to relieve the pressures currently facing elderly care.

Japan is already using robots for elderly care. One company, Dinshaw, have created a line of small robots that fits nicely on top of a bedside table. Dinshaw provides 24/7 health monitoring, reminders of when to take medication and can be used to contact family and friends via Skype.

Related Reading - Japan's Elderly Care: What We Can Learn From Them

How Can Robots Benefit The Elderly Care?

Besides providing 24/7 support and politely reminding elderly patients of when to take their medication, robots have the potential to help out with daily activities such as eating, bathing and dressing. And with the recent advancements in robotic technology, we're not too far from seeing a robot that can help the elderly with these daily activities. 

Even though robotics is in its advanced stages in Japan, early observations have reported that robot companionship can help to combat loneliness.  As you know, loneliness is a major concern in the UK, with numerous studies showing that loneliness is linked to a variety of ailments, including cardiovascular disease, elevated blood pressure and cognitive deterioration.

On seeing the benefit of robotics in elderly care, Japan's minister of Economic, Trade and Industry expects to see the robotics service industry to be worth $4 billion (approx. £3.028 billion) by 2035.

And Will They Benefit Care Workers?

With a shortage of care workers being a significant issue in care sectors all over the world, robots can provide caregivers with the support they really need. 

Robots will be able to assist care workers with most daily activities (e.g. eating, bathing, dressing, etc.) and provide 24/7 monitoring. This reduces the care worker's workload and gives them more time to concentrate on the more personal parts of their job.

Related -  Level 2 Diploma in Care (RQF)

Time to Embrace the Robots

The robots are coming. And for the elderly care sector, this will be good news. But even though all this talk of embracing robots is generating a great deal of excitement, there's one thing that we must consider: cost.

For us to fully embrace robots, we need to ensure that we the necessary funding in place. The Dinshaw mentioned earlier in this article costs $2,500. It's definitely not cheap, that's for sure. Not everyone has that kind of money, but the UK government are keen to invest in AI technologies.

The IT PRO have reported that both the tech sector and the UK government have joined forces to invest nearly £1 billion in developing further AI technologies.

This is good news for the robotics industry, so do watch this space.

Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts on robots coming into the elderly care sector? Do you think it will help? Or do you think it might open a can of worms in who should take responsibility if anything were to go wrong? Should we blame the robot or the makers behind the robot?