Sarah Donnelly
Papers
9
Total Citations
119
H-Index
5
About
Sarah Donnelly is a leading researcher in gerontechnology and social gerontology, with a particular focus on the intersection of robotics, assistive technology, and care for older adults. Her work addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies: how to support ageing populations through innovative technological solutions while remaining attentive to ethical, cultural, and human dimensions of care. Donnelly is best known for her pioneering cross-national comparative research, examining attitudes toward home-care robots among older people, family caregivers, and care professionals across Ireland, Finland, and Japan. Her most cited work, a 2020 comparative questionnaire study (53 citations), helped establish how cultural context shapes perceptions of robotic care — a foundational insight for both policy and design. Her subsequent studies have deepened this scholarship, developing ethical frameworks for understanding user perceptions and identifying factors that determine willingness to adopt robotic technologies. With contributions spanning systematic reviews, scoping reviews, newspaper content analyses, and disability policy discussions, Donnelly has built a multidisciplinary body of work that bridges social work practice, gerontology, and technology studies. Her research carries important implications for long-term care workforce planning, quality of life policy, and the rights of older adults and persons with disabilities in an increasingly automated care landscape.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 7Assistive Technologies, Robotics and Gerontological Social Work Practice3 citations · 2023
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