The role of a disruptive digital technology for home-based healthcare of the elderly: Telepresence robot

Abstract

Many elderly people prefer to live at home independently. They and their relatives face challenges with respect to physical and mental health care in this environment. In addition, the traditional model of hospital-based centralized healthcare is now under stress due to the ageing population worldwide, especially in countries, such as Japan, China and Europe. Robots are now being used extensively for many different applications in business (e.g., materials handling) and homes (e.g., floor cleaning). On the other hand, researchers all over the world have been investigating the use of robots (e.g., PARO the therapeutic baby seal robot) to provide emotional support and well-being for the elderly. The EU project VictoryaHome was designed to trial telepresence robots for the care, safety and emotional well-being of the elderly across four countries in Europe and Australia. This paper examines the potential of integrated care of the elderly in their own homes and is based on the findings of the VictoryaHome project.