How will automation affect the future of elder care?

Our aging population is living longer than ever, bringing unique challenges to our world.

One of those is ensuring adequate elderly care.

Robots and automation promise to be a growing part of the solution to the increasing need for elder care. 

Additionally, in many developed nations, there are not enough youth to replace — let alone care for — the number of people joining the ranks of the elderly. Researchers predict a drastic increase in elderly needing assistance compared to available caregivers by 2050. 

For over two decades, Japan has been developing robots to help fill this void. In recent years public and private investment into these types of technologies have skyrocketed- aiming to reduce human labor involved in elderly care while still providing quality support for seniors.

The results remain unclear, however - as studies increasingly find that automation may create more problems than it solves when applied within healthcare settings. 

So what does automation and advanced tech look like for elderly care?

Independence-oriented solutions top the list. The aging population is overall favorable to technological advancements, allowing them to keep their independence longer. 

Robots have already been introduced to elder care, assisting with a range of tasks, including: 

• social-emotional and cognitive stimulation

• cleaning and chores

• basic bodily care tasks

• lifting people from beds to chairs

Robots are far from replacing human care but are increasingly assisting and enhancing care. And these developments have a strong potential to improve and increase over time.

Advanced technology could potentially be used to allow the elderly to keep a sense of autonomy in daily life activities. These activities include dressing, feeding, washing, using the toilet, and moving from point to point.

The more complex the task, though, the greater the robotics challenge: human engineers and, eventually, caretakers must ensure the robot does not injure the person as they assist with a task. 

Humans can easily read human signals, but robots and automated systems cannot do this as well. Think of how often your virtual assistant completely misses the point of what you’re saying. Imagine that your virtual assistant can also physically pick you up (or drop you off!), and you can see the challenges. 

A human assistant can easily interpret signals and adapt at the moment, while a robot cannot yet distinguish a grunt or moan as a sign of “the shirt is pulling on my skin too hard” or “the food is too hot.” 

Challenges like these might someday be overcome with even more advanced technologies, but for now, most companies and researchers focus on simpler, less risky tasks.

For example, reminding an elderly person to eat at regular intervals or that it is time to take medications is a simple automation that can be tremendously helpful. Detecting falls or emergencies is another possibility for robots (or even smart sensors) that would allow someone to age in place for longer.

Cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, mopping, and carrying laundry are another avenue where robots and automation can assist the elderly and their caregivers. With less time and energy spent on such tasks, the elderly have a lower risk of injury, and caregivers have more time to take on the more personal tasks and interactions that robots cannot perform as safely.

Transportation, whether across a room or across town, is another area with automation potential. Elderly people who can no longer safely drive or make it to appointments on their own still need to go routinely to medical facilities for care.

Self-driving cars powered by AI and machine learning are not that far off, and perhaps motorized wheelchairs will follow.

Last, certain robots have been designed to assist with lifting a person from a bed to a chair, which may save caregivers’ backs and health. 

Automation in elder care can bridge the world's gap with longer lifespans, with many promising development avenues.