Research on robot assistants for aged care shows older adults have different preferences for robot faces. Older adults who focus on “care” and sensitive personal care say they would prefer a human-looking robot to assist them. They focus on the need to trust.

Older adults who focus on the private nature of personal care would prefer a robot face that does not look human. They focus on needing impersonal contact for personal needs. The question remains whether robots are suitable for aged care.

With an ageing population and cut backs on public funding, there are increasing pressures on families, businesses and governments to look for new caring solutions. I’ve argued here before that the focus should be on better social policy planning informed by practical research outcomes.

What benefits and issues do you see with using robots in aged care? Are robots really an answer?