Mention the word ‘robot’ and many of us will think of the stereotypical creature that featured in the cartoons of our childhood or in science fiction films.
But robotic technology is very much part of our world now and is being considered in social care.
Dorset Council has been part of the Robotics in Care Community of Interest (RICCOI), a forum for adult social care leaders, since it began in 2019. The community, which is facilitated by PA Consulting, explores and promotes the potential of robotics within social care to help deal with our biggest challenges.
The community provides a forum to learn and share with other organisations and to understand the opportunities and challenges presented by this emerging technology, which resulted in the Robotics in Care Report.
The report outlined some of the challenges faced by the care sector which can be eased by the use of robotics. These include care workforce capacity, preventing the need for care and supporting adults to live independently, and addressing social isolation.
However, in the survey from which the report is drawn, 3 out of 5 respondents said that ‘understanding the robotics market and what is available is the top barrier in pursuing robotics solutions to their challenges’.
There are several different types of robotics available:
- Collaborative robots (‘cobots’) – broadly covers a range of robots designed to be used in conjunction with humans. In the care sector, the most advanced area of exploration is robotic exoskeletons, external apparatus worn to protect carers as they deliver physical care and move and support care receivers.
- Semi-humanoid robots – smart robots with human-like characteristics engage people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or autism to facilitate social interaction.
- Robotic animals – can serve as companions, interacting and engaging patiently with people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or learning disabilities.
- Digital assistants – voice-controlled devices and services can support people with care needs at home, making it easier to control their environment, call for help or let a carer in at the door, for example.
- Medicine robots – automated medicine dispensers remind people when to take their medication and send alerts when a dose is missed.
- Automated call services – automated services make and manage calls to check on vulnerable people, helping local authorities remain in touch and respond sooner when a need emerges.
Dorset Council has worked with PA Consulting to look at how we could use cobots here in Dorset. We spoke to health partners, carers, and care providers to get a sense of how they felt about the adoption of technology in general, robotic technology more specifically, and how well that would integrate into their own home or setting.
From this work, three potential areas were identified:
- Reablement – can robotics make care delivery easier and reduce carer burnout and sickness so that we lose fewer carers for these sorts of reasons?
- Informal carer – can the use of robotics prevent, delay, or reduce the need for formal care?
- Domiciliary care – can efficiencies be made on single handed and double handed care by using a cobot?
You can see a short video of a cobot in action.
If you would like to know more about robotics in care, we talked about the work at our Festival of the Future, with the recording available here.
For more information about robotics in care at Dorset Council please leave a comment below.
