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
