Robots designed to take care of elderly are part of the Japanese government's plan to tackle staff shortages, particularly in the healthcare sector. This problem will seem to become more acute in the future, and as in now, the cost of care is rising, increasing the national debt. In
line with an ageing population, the country is adapting to the new reality. Various institutions are working to attract as many students as possible who want to work in elderly care. To counterbalance the phenomenon of "kodokushi" ( 孤 独 死 ) lonely deaths, Japan has introduced measures such as neighbourhood assistance, regular housing inspections,
volunteer work programmes meanwhile government guidelines emphasise the important role of local residents in creating a community where everyone feels accepted and fulfilled
in their collective dependence on one another. The reasons for the phenomenon of lonely death are portrayed by the media as an abandonment of traditional values, while academic work links the phenomenon to social isolation and other factors. In the case of care robots,
we distinguish between service robots サービスロボット [saabisu robotto], which help the user with everyday tasks, and social robots, which communicates with the user. The
acceptance of robots is an important factor in their development. Robots in care have quite a few shortcomings in communication for example expressing empathy towards the patient. There are also doubts about the protection of personal information. Despite the limitations,
the potential of robots to support elderly care cannot be denied.
|
