Taking care of the elderly is surely a challenging task for many caregivers around the world, but knowing that you are helping another person who is unable to move properly is also very rewarding for most of them, which is why not a lot of caregivers give up on the profession since they truly enjoy their job and see its worth and importance.
However, there are some problems and occurrences in their caregiving duties that are difficult for them to fix or accomplish alone. Nonetheless, no matter how hard the task is, caregivers would still do their best to conquer problems for the sake of the ones they are taking care of. But, these difficult tasks would take a toll on the caregiver’s physical and mental health. Luckily, many researchers focused on robotics are figuring out ways to create robots that can help not only caregivers but elderly people as well. Here are some of the ways that robots can help the elderly.
Helps in Lifting Heavy Objects
One of the main advantages of robots compared to caregivers is that they would be much stronger and thus be able to lift heavier objects. If the elderly want to move heavy items from one room to another, a robot can possibly lift those objects with ease and move them in just a few minutes. In addition, it would also help the caregiver preserve some of his or her energy to do other tasks if the robot is assigned lift and move items.
Can Remind About Certain Events and Tasks
Robots can also be used as a walking alarm clock that will tell caregivers and the elderly about certain events and tasks that should be accomplished in the house. There are moments when the caregivers would forget about doing something in the afternoon or at night, but with the help of a robot, he or she will always be reminded to do that particular task. These reminders can also be quite helpful for the elderly, who are usually becoming more forgetful.
Fill Gaps in Caregiving Duties
There would be times when a caregiver wouldn’t be able to watch the person they are taking care of while doing another task, but if there is a robot around, the caregiver wouldn’t have to worry about the elderly since the robot can keep an eye on them. The robot is beneficial for filling the gaps in caregiving duties, as they would always be around when the caregiver isn’t. It is important to note that caregivers are human too, so they can make a few mistakes every now and then. With a robot companion, those mistakes can be limited since the robot can perform certain tasks better.
Can Monitor the Elderly at Night
Because caregivers are humans, they would also need some time to take a rest. So, during the caregiver’s sleeping time, the robot can help in monitoring the elderly all night since it does not need sleep. If the elderly suddenly stand up, the robot can assist the elderly if he or she wants to go to the bathroom or in other places around the house. So, caregivers wouldn’t have to worry anymore at night and wake up every now and then to check on the elderly, as the security robots are already there to help him or her with monitoring duties.
Can Be a Tool for Communication
Some of the elderly would have difficulties communicating with their family and caregivers, so a robot that has several communication features may be able to help them talk to their loved ones better. If the elderly want to call a family member who is in another room, he or she can just ask the robot to call for that family member. In addition, some robots would also have cameras and screens that can be connected to the internet so that the elderly can talk to their loved ones even if they are far away.
Has Unlimited Patience
Some moments or problems would often result in caregivers losing some of their patience, which is perfectly normal since they are human. But because robots don’t really have emotions, they will be able to provide unlimited patience even if the elderly are being uncooperative or unruly most of the time. There are also some elderly that would ask the same questions repeatedly, but robots wouldn’t lose patience and would just answer every time the questions are asked. Robots provide great companionship while also not having human flaws.
As we get closer to the era where robots will become more abundant around the world, it is inevitable that we will see caregiver robots being sold to the public soon. Of course, these robots cannot replicate the love and care that caregivers provide, so they should only serve as assistants and companions for both the caregiver and the elderly.