In this time where average lifetime is ever increasing, not everyone can handle elderly people’s care, and, most importantly, their need to remain active. Not enough professionally qualified staff is available in the market and people don’t feel well to leave their loved ones in a nursing home.
However, as we’ve learned in this course, whenever we see a problem these days, technology seems to be the solution. This case is no exception. Companies like ElliQ have emerged that build robots to keep the elder company. They can tell jokes, play music, do video chats, send messages and take calls, remind you of your appointments, and even suggest activities if it notices you are too sedentary (Baiju, 2020). It is truly the digital assistant that also acts as your best friend.
Despite the moral dilemmas that robotic care can present, some people seem to prefer to be accompanied by robots, as is the case of an 80-year resident who said: “She won’t have her feelings hurt and she doesn’t get moody, and she puts up with my moods, and that’s the best friend anybody can have.” (Samuel, 2020). The truth is as people get older, they tend to get lonelier due to a lack of energy, social events, and hobbies to keep them active. Although human interaction is usually the best practice to deal with this issue, there aren’t enough resources and time to give people the care they need, and robots can be always present and can become better at understanding people’s needs than fellow humans. What do you think about this? Do you think robot care will be the future? Would you give one to your parents? Do you think younger generations who are more technology literate won’t need a robot to replace their phone when they grow old?
References
Nt, B. (2020, July 2). Top seven companion and social robots for elderly people. RoboticsBiz. https://roboticsbiz.com/top-seven-companion-and-social-robots-for-elderly-people/
Samuel, S. (2020, December 8). Are robots the answer to pandemic loneliness — or a moral trap? Vox. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/9/9/21418390/robots-pandemic-loneliness-isolation-elderly-seniors
Hi Henrique, first of all great article! I was not aware of this and I personally think that it’s really nice to see how some companies are using technology not just to improve the life of younger generations that tend to be more tech-savvy but also to improve the lives of the elderly. To answer your questions, first I think that robot care could grow in the future as technology progresses and robots become more functional and autonomous. However, I struggle to see a market large enough for the current population. From my personal experience, I know people that do not even want a human carer when they grow old, so perhaps it might be even be worse so suggest a robot. I am sure, as you said, that there are still exceptions and some may prefer a robot rather than a human but it will probably only be more widely accepted in the future. As for your last question, I think that for the younger generations, once they grow older they might be more willing to adopt robot care but I can also see how phones could be a valid replacement to avoid being lonely (e.g. simply by calling or connecting with others online). What are your thought? Do you think see robot care being a feasible solution for when younger generations, that are more tech savvy, grow older?
This article conveys a very interesting notion Henrique!
Nowadays, especially in the Netherlands care for elderly has been problematic due to economic stipend cuts from the current government. These plans, generally known as Rutte 1 and 2, have had a very significant impact on the healthcare industry. A lot of understaffing has been a result of these cuts and elderly and sick people are the main victims. I think, beside the financial aspect of this problem, the iRobots could be a very helpful solution to the problem of loneliness among elderly (or even autistic children and people with disabilities). Personally, I don’t see any downside of having your own “Alexa” which can not only be your assistant but also your friend if that is needed.
I would like to see some realistic steps taken by the government of the Netherlands to deploy these robots, as they created a huge disadvantage for the people in question.
This article is so touching and inspiring Henrique! Thanks for sharing! Allow me to share some thoughts regarding my own country, China. My generation is having many diffficulties taking care of our aging parents because of two main reasons. First of all, we are the one-child generation, there’s no sibling that can help us taking care of our parents if we are too far away from them. Secondly, the legal retirement age in China is around 55, which means our parents will start to feel lonely at an earlier age compared to many other countries.
However, it is really hard to hire our parents a care giver in China. There are also two main reasons in my point of view. First, due to a lack of credibility, it’s nearly impossible to find someone that you can trust in the nursing market. Agents in China are not used to strict background check on their employees, which brings unqualified care givers that can actually hurt our parents rather than taking good care of them. Secondly, chances are that old people would still prefer to live on their own than sharing their home with a stranger.
As it is crucial to have an eye on old people when they are old just to avoid unwanted accidents, I personally think that having a caring robot at home is a good idea to solve somd critical problems. Therefore, considering the situation of one-child generation and the difficulties on hiring someone to help, I believe that the caring robot market will play a key role in China in the furture.