Opinion: How robots could help to ease the social care crisis

Robear is an animatronic bear that lifts elders with mobility problems, Paro is a fuzzy robotic seal intended to provide a futuristic form of animal therapy, and Pepper is a humanoid with remote-monitoring capabilities and learning tools.

Pet robots have revolutionised and enhanced the standard of care, improving the wellbeing of care home residents. Here Stephen Hayes, managing director at automation tech firm Beckhoff UK, explores the benefits of integrating robots in social care homes.

There is a wide variety of care robots on the market. Some are aimed at physical care, including machines that can assist with mobility and exercise, feed their owner and help them with hygiene tasks. These could greatly benefit caregivers, freeing their time and preventing them from suffering from long-term health conditions or disability due to the physical effort associated with giving care.

Others play the role of a companion, engaging older people emotionally to reduce and even prevent cognitive decline, providing companionship for lonely older people, and making those with cognitive conditions easier for care staff to manage.

Research by the University of Plymouth, conducted in care homes using these pets found decreased neuropsychiatric symptoms such as delusions, depression, anxiety, apathy and occupational disruptiveness because they provided a sense of responsibility and purpose.

Social care vacancies are higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and data shows one in ten social care posts are unfilled in a staffing crisis that could have harmful results for residents. In England, 152,000 social care posts remain empty, according to a report released by Skills for Care.

Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commented for The Telegraph earlier this year, stating that robots and AI are key to better supporting patients and reducing demand on social care staff. He said that there was a need to adopt an innovative approach to health and attempt to cut NHS waiting times while improving care for the elderly.

However, these robots present limitations, such as superficiality and lack of personalisation. Also, the content of their conversations can be very limited, making them less entertaining with the pass of time.

This was the case of the humanoid Pepper, for which production ceased in 2021 due to a weak demand as care homes did not see the long-term benefit of his interactions. Nevertheless, robots like Paro, which move and respond to touch, have had a positive impact on the wellbeing of care home residents. However, with a cost of £5,000, care homes are looking for more affordable options.

Japan is a pioneer in developing this kind of technology. The nation is facing a ‘greying’ crisis due to the aging of its population, so the country has invested heavily in developing caretech able to serve and provide emotional support.

In the UK, there are currently almost 12 million people who are aged 65 or over, and the number of people coping with illnesses such as arthritis or dementia is expected to increase. In fact, a recent machine learning study by the Journal of Medical Systems suggests that 135 million people might be affected by dementia by 2050.

To allow for continuous innovation in this field, the UK Government announced its commitment to invest at least 2.4 per cent of GDP in R&D by 2027. The programme supports the UK Government’s Ageing Society Grand Challenge and Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, which will ensure we meet the needs of an ageing society.

With this in mind, there are certain technologies that we are likely to see more of in care homes over the coming years, including robots that can connect to each other and other devices.

This includes devices such as oximeters, thermometers, or even thermal cameras, enabling the elderly to have consultations any time of the day, from home, and send out emergency notices to staff or hospitals. However, for care robots to be a success, state-of-the-art control technology is required.

Beckhoff’s Ethernet-based fieldbus system, EtherCAT, has extension modules that are compatible with third party hardware for integration. This platform process data and transports it directly, has a flexible topology and simple line or tree structure that requires no expensive infrastructure components and includes the environments for programming, diagnostics and configuration.

This global standard for real-time Ethernet communication provides workers with real-time information about elders like location, health condition, or learning progress. This data also allows carers focus their time on other urgent tasks, optimise resources and personalise treatment.

The advancement and implementation of robot pets could improve awareness of preventative care, reduce anxiety on disease and enhance stakeholder relationship.

Further research on caretech would tackle functional problems, making these devices an essential asset for any caregiver. By investing in the right control technology now, social care homes will be better prepared to take care of their residents.

Beckhoff provides PC-based control and EtherCAT to connect caretech systems. See more here.