University of Notre Dame professor Yong Suk Lee is researching the use of robots in long-term care settings.
With an aging population and high employee turnover, nursing homes are increasingly using robots to complete care tasks. Lee is exploring how these new technologies impact workers and the quality of care.
Lee, Notre Dame associate professor of technology, economy and global affairs, was the lead author of a study published in Labour Economics. The study found that robot use led to increased employment and retention and a higher quality of care. Researchers drew on surveys of Japanese nursing homes.
“Our research focused on Japan because it is a super-aging society that provides a good example of what the future could entail elsewhere — a declining population, a growing share of senior citizens and a declining share of working-age people,” Lee said in a press release. “We need to be ready for this new reality.”
In 2022, more than 57 million U.S. residents were 65 or older, according to the National Council on Aging. The Census Bureau forecasts that by 2050, this number will increase to 88.5 million.
In a future with more senior citizens requiring care, using robots could benefit workers and patients alike, Lee said. The study analyzed three types of robots used in assisted living facilities:
- Transfer robots, which nurses use to lift, move and rotate patients in beds and around rooms.
- Mobility robots, which patients use to move around and to bathe.
- Monitoring and communication robots, which include computer vision and bed sensors that can monitor patient data.
“We found that robot adoption complements care workers by reducing quit rates,” Lee said. “Workers typically experience a great deal of physical pain, particularly in their knees and back. The work is hard and the pay is low. So robot use was associated with employee retention.”
The nursing homes that Lee’s team studied reported a decrease in the pressure ulcers or bedsores that nursing home residents commonly suffer, largely because of a lack of mobility.
By removing the physical strain associated with certain tasks, Lee said, robots may have made room for care workers to focus on tasks better suited for human beings.
“Robots can improve productivity by shifting the tasks performed by care workers to those involving human touch, empathy and dexterity,” Lee said. “Ultimately, robots can help workers provide a higher level of patient care.”
