Older Adult Preferences for Robot Care Providers

Abstract

As the population of older adults increases throughout the world, there is increased demand for specialized interventions for older adults who receive assistance from care providers. Robot care providers are a potential technology intervention to support this population. Although previous research has explored older adults’ perceptions of robot care providers, the studies primarily included independently functioning older adults. This study explored the perceptions of robot care providers from older adults who are currently receiving assistance from a human care provider to gain insight into their understanding of successful care, and how robot care providers can be designed to effectively care for older adults. The results suggest that in the care provider context, older adults desire a robot that goes beyond simply performing the tasks, but is also caring, kind, and sociable. When designing robots for older adult care, robots should also be social to support successful interactions.