The days of giggling at the cat sitting on the Roomba-vacuum are behind us. We’re now being shown slick marketing clips of robots, in all shapes and sizes, speaking in 90 languages, holding conversations and seemingly ‘connecting’ with us.
The message that these robots are going to ‘save aged care’, or at least vastly improve it, has been made loudly from the tech sector. But the most concerning reality for staff, seniors and family members is just the sheer speed that all this change is happening. Twelve months ago it was the case of introducing a cleaning robot to help with spills, in another twelve months it could be a robot that can take blood and make medical assessments.
Thankfully it’s not all about hurtling towards progress. Some sector professionals are holding up ‘slow down and think’ signs. They agree, it’s time to take a step out of the rapid current of progress, not to bolt in the other direction but to ask careful, thoughtful and sometimes uncomfortable questions to protect the most vulnerable at the heart of aged care. Hearing from aged care leadership, about what should be asked by them, and tested, by staff and seniors, is crucial in guiding the adoption of the new.
AI in aged care must be a partnership with seniors and staff
For Petrina Greenwood is the manager of Innovation, Research & Partnerships at BaptistCare. Ahead of introducing cleaning, laundry and concierge robots into their Caloola the basic starting point had to be whether it would benefit seniors and staff. No ifs or buts.
“The starting point was whether the technology would make life better for residents and employees. We considered safety, reliability, how the three robots would fit into daily routines and whether they could reduce repetitive or physically demanding work.”
She is clear, it can and must only be a partnership of change, not a decision from on-top, “residents and employees were involved early because introducing technology into someone’s home cannot be a purely technical or financial decision. It was a trial, and we wanted evidence about what worked and what did not.”
Ethics of robots in aged care means serious conversations
As technology progresses, so too must the time and depth taken to weigh the ethics of what is being considered. Seniors, and staff, must be the greatest north-star in guiding what is safe and appropriate for them.
The sector cannot mindlessly adopt more advanced technology. Greenwood says, “if we’re talking about robots moving into clinical tasks, then the conversation does change because the level of risk changes. Vacuuming a floor is fundamentally different from taking blood or contributing to a medical assessment.”
“The higher the clinical risk”, she says, “the stronger the ethical considerations and the requirements around evidence, safety, privacy, cybersecurity, accountability and human oversight”.
“Technology should support clinical judgement, not quietly replace it.”
Companion robots for older people means consent will be a constant assessment
Even after robots have been introduced into a home, Greenwood advocates that leadership and staff will need to make sure that consent remains active. It’s not a one-and-done tick-box.
“Consent cannot be a one-off form or assumed because a robot operates in the home. Residents need clear information about what the technology does, what information it collects and whether they can opt out without affecting their care.”
Being vigilant in how those with cognitive decline are responding to introduced robots will simply be an ongoing necessity if they are introduced, “for a person living with dementia, we should still start with their own will and preferences, support them to participate in the decision and pay attention to non-verbal signs of discomfort.”
Aged care technology Australia and the looming question of being replaced
Ahead of introducing the robots into their Caloola facility, Greenwood is transparent, “there was understandable [staff] apprehension at first.”
Greenwood is clear, there is no place for dismissing, gaslighting or ignoring the concerns of staff when introducing new tech, they must be part of the discussion and all fears considered.
“Telling people not to worry is not enough; employees need to understand the purpose, be trained and have a say in how the technology fits into their work.”
She explains, “At BaptistCare Caloola, the robots take on repetitive or physically demanding tasks such as vacuuming and moving heavy linen trolleys. They do not replace employees’ judgement, empathy or relationships. As one of our cleaning employees said: ‘It can’t take our jobs, we’re irreplaceable.’”
Karen was that employee. She was open about her concerns and apprehension to Greenwood, “I wasn’t sure how it would work at first, but we did the training and have started seeing how great it is.”
Proof and testing how it turned out did matter for Karen, with time saved not resulting in reduced hours for cleaning staff but more care time, “it [the robot] goes about its business vacuuming throughout the day leaving us time to focus on other parts of the home that need our attention. It also means we can stop and have a chat with a resident as we’re working, and that’s really lovely”.
Aged care residents’ rights means protecting what only humans can do
In the face of slick AI marketing ads, it may seem that robots can do it all. For many leaders, staff and seniors it’s been important to push back against that narrative.
Greenwood is frank, there is a line in the sand to what humans should decide to replace other humans with, “we should automate tasks, not human relationships or human accountability.”
“Technology can carry, clean, monitor or prompt, but it should not replace the empathy, judgement and trust at the heart of aged care. The test is not simply, ‘Can a robot do this?’ It is, ‘Should it, and will residents be better off?’”
AI in aged care and the lessons from early adoption
Greenwood shares what’s stuck with her a year on from the introduction of the robots, “the lesson from Caloola is that innovation should solve a real problem, not introduce technology for its own sake.”
“Residents asked for the concierge robot after seeing the cleaning and laundry robots, which reminds us not to assume what older people will or will not welcome.”
However, she reminds, “but enthusiasm is not blanket consent, and novelty is not proof of value. The goal is to use technology for the work it does well so people have more time for the deeply human work of care.”
