According to a recent estimate, Germany will have a shortage of nearly half a million caregivers by 2030. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, there are already eleven geriatric nurses for every 100 people in need of care. With increasing automation, the idea of using robots to support the care sector is not far off. Read on to find out what this might look like and what the electric caregivers can really do.
Growing automation and increasing shortage of skilled workers
Automation is taking hold in every sector. International wholesalers, such as Amazon, are using robots as helpers in their logistics centers to pack customers‘ goods. The nursing sector could also use this support. The profession is challenging for staff in the long run. Energy-sapping shift work, back problems caused by lifting and storing, psychological stress and comparatively poor wages make nursing unattractive. Added to this is the increasingly aging society. „In 15 years, around 30 percent of the population in Germany will be over 65, and eight percent will even be over 80,“ according to the German Future Institute. So the outlook for the future of nursing does not look rosy – it is even already being described as a „nursing collapse“ by the German professional association for nursing professions. In addition to trying to recruit and retain skilled workers, one obvious solution seems to be to use electronic helpers in everyday nursing care.
Physical and social relief for nursing staff
Robots are supposed to provide support to ensure quality of care. Whether it’s to entertain seniors or to help out with basic care. Take robot Pepper, for example. At 120 centimeters tall and weighing 40 kilograms, the electronic caregiver with black googly eyes seems dainty. But it has what it takes: Pepper speaks several languages, remembers faces, can support seniors individually with movement and memory games, and reminds them to take their medication. Pepper was purchased and imported from Japan to Germany by the company BoS&S. „We need robots for the long term,“ says Marketing Manager Marc Specht. The goal of Pepper should be to give caregivers more time. For example, the robot can take over social care while caregivers look after residents individually. The Palo entertainment robot from the Japanese company Fuji Soft has around 365 programs in store, including rhythm games and puzzles.
Robots can relieve caregivers not only of social tasks. The never-tiring electric caregivers can also relieve humans of some physical tasks. One example is the transport robots at the Immanuel Clinic in Rüdersdorf. They deliver meals to patients‘ rooms, take fresh laundry to various wards and, in extreme cases, can carry goods weighing up to 500 kilograms. With short sentences such as „Please move aside,“ the transport robot from the company Swisslog clears the way and thus covers up to 28 kilometers a day in hospitals and nursing homes.
Data privacy challenge and ethics issue
As always, when technology is involved, the question of data protection arises. This is also the case with the Paro seal research project. The robot with cuddly fur looks like a real baby seal and primarily helps people suffering from dementia. It collects data, such as conversations and behavior patterns, and thus provides caregivers with suggestions on how to deal with residents. Not only can this become a data privacy fiasco, but it’s also ethically questionable. „Ethically, this is still totally unresolved. Who has oversight of the data? What rights does the care-dependent person have? What rights do the employees have?“ said Peter Tackenberg, deputy executive director at the German Professional Association for Nursing Professions. Robots would therefore need to be made transparent in their actions for seniors, while also complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Care robots: added value or danger?
Robots don’t get tired, are always „in a good mood“ and work overtime without pay. If you look at efficiency and economic benefits alone, the electronic helper seems perfect. However, robots cannot replace interpersonal relationships – attention, empathy and empathy are a human matter. Even in terms of motor skills, e-caregivers cannot come close to humans: due to their roles, robots can only move in barrier-free areas and cannot climb stairs. Even in the elevator, they often need assistance. The same applies to self-evident care activities, such as dressing and undressing. So if the use of care robots takes place under the DSGVO and with the full consent of all parties involved, Pepper & Co. can support caregivers and enrich their everyday lives. However, they cannot replace human caregivers.
