Imagine a world where there simply aren’t enough people to take care of our elders.

Not necessarily nurses or highly skilled clinicians….

I’m talking about people to help with the basic things.

….Doing the laundry.

….Putting dishes away.

….Helping someone get out of bed.

….Preparing a simple meal.

….Taking someone for a walk.

….Helping with the countless little things that allow an older adult to continue living safely at home.

It sounds a little frightening….

But parts of the world are already dealing with significant aging populations and caregiver shortages. Japan is perhaps the most obvious example, with an aging population forcing the country to look aggressively at technology, automation and robotics.

And with the Silver Tsunami coming here in the United States….

Do we really think we’re going to be that far behind?

We already struggle to find enough caregivers.

Now imagine what happens as millions more Americans reach their 70s, 80s and 90s….

Who’s going to take care of everyone?

That’s where this gets interesting.

Now Imagine Having Some Help….

Imagine having AI and devices inside the home that could assist an older adult.

That’s already happening to some degree.

But let’s take it further….

Imagine a humanoid robot that could eventually perform some of the basic tasks another person might normally have to do.

It could pick up around the house….

….do basic laundry.

….put dishes away.

….bring someone an item from another room.

….provide reminders.

….walk alongside someone.

….perform basic household tasks.

Now imagine that robot doesn’t look like a giant industrial machine from a manufacturing plant.

It looks and moves increasingly like a person.

Maybe someday it can even be customized to look familiar….or at least feel less like a machine.

Would you consider putting one in your parents’ home?

Before you immediately say no….

Think about what it could potentially change.

Maybe the robot doesn’t replace the caregiver.

Maybe it handles some of the basic tasks so the human caregiver can focus on the things humans are uniquely qualified to provide.

Personal care.

Companionship.

Observation.

Emotional connection.

Dementia support.

Human touch.

Judgment.

Empathy.

And more complicated care needs.

Suddenly, the conversation becomes a little different.

“But Robots Would Be Too Expensive….”

That’s usually one of the first objections.

And historically, that’s probably been true.

But technology has an interesting way of becoming dramatically less expensive as it improves and reaches scale.

Think about computers….Think about flat-screen televisions…..Think about smartphones.

Think about almost every major piece of technology we use today.

The first versions were incredibly expensive.

Then competition increased….manufacturing improved….technology improved….and prices dropped.

We’re already seeing companies race to develop humanoid robots at increasingly lower price points, while other companies are exploring rental and robotics-as-a-service models.

If humanoid robots eventually become something that can be leased or rented rather than purchased outright….

Does that change the equation?

It might.

Especially when you compare that cost to paying someone by the hour to perform many of the same basic household tasks.

“But Older Adults Will Never Accept Robots….”

That’s probably objection number two.

And there will absolutely be older adults who don’t want anything to do with them.

But remember….

Every generation becomes more comfortable with technology than the generation before it.

There was a time when older adults didn’t use smartphones.

Now plenty do.

There was a time when video calls sounded futuristic.

Today grandparents FaceTime their grandchildren.

Voice assistants, smart watches, fall detection devices and remote monitoring technology are already becoming increasingly normal.

Acceptance probably won’t happen overnight.

And a robot certainly won’t replace the emotional connection of another human being.

But that may be the wrong question anyway.

The question isn’t necessarily whether robots will replace caregivers.

The better question might be….

Which parts of caregiving actually REQUIRE a human?

That’s where I believe the conversation gets really interesting.

The First Impact May Not Even Happen in the Home

Let’s assume regulators, consumers and families aren’t ready for robots to provide direct personal care….Fine.

That doesn’t mean robotics won’t dramatically impact the care industry.

What if robots begin staffing restaurants?

What if they handle portions of food service?

Laundry?

Housekeeping?

Warehouses?

Senior living dining rooms?

Routine cleaning?

Think about how many human workers are currently performing those jobs.

If technology eventually performs more of that work….

What happens to the human workforce?

Some of those people may be available to move into jobs requiring more human interaction.

And with the right training, some may move into caregiving and other areas of senior care.

Instead of paying humans to perform tasks machines can eventually perform effectively….

We may increasingly pay humans to perform the higher-level tasks where people are still incredibly difficult to replace.

Those jobs may also become more valuable.

More skilled work….More responsibility….Potentially better compensation.

That’s where this could become a win/win.

Technology handles more of the repetitive work at a lower cost….

While people focus on the work where being human actually matters.

Science Fiction Has a Funny Way of Becoming Reality

I know what some of you are thinking….

“Andy….this sounds like Star Wars.”….Maybe.

But science fiction has a long history of imagining technologies that eventually become part of everyday life.

Tablet computers….Video calling….Voice-controlled computers…..Artificial intelligence….Wearable technology.

….Robotics.

Things that once looked ridiculous on a movie screen eventually became normal.

And here’s the bigger issue….

We may not have much choice but to innovate.

The number of older adults needing assistance is growing.

The workforce isn’t necessarily growing at the same pace.

We can’t simply keep saying…….”We need more caregivers.”…Of course we do.

But what happens if there aren’t enough?

That’s the problem countries with rapidly aging populations are already being forced to think about.

And eventually, we’re going to have to think about it too.

Maybe We’re Asking the Wrong Question

I don’t believe the future is necessarily robots instead of caregivers.

I think it’s much more likely to be technology working alongside caregivers.

AI helping people make better decisions.

Remote monitoring helping identify potential problems.

Technology helping families stay informed.

Robots eventually handling some basic physical and household tasks.

And human caregivers spending more of their time doing the things technology can’t easily replicate.

….The human connection.

….The judgment.

….The empathy.

….The reassurance.

….The conversation.

….The hand on someone’s shoulder when they’re scared.

Those things matter.

And maybe technology doesn’t eliminate the caregiver….

Maybe it gives the caregiver more time to actually care.

So instead of asking….“Will robots replace caregivers?”

….Maybe home care owners should start asking a different question:

“If technology could eventually handle 20% to 30% of the routine tasks our caregivers perform today….what could our caregivers do with the time it gave back to them?”

Because whether we’re ready for it or not….

The technology is coming.

And the agencies that begin thinking about how humans and technology can work together may be much better prepared for the future of home care than those waiting for the future to look exactly like the past.

Andy Nandy

Chief Executive Officer