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  • Robot caregivers to help the elderly

    Our life expectancy lengthens and members of the 'silver generation' make up an ever-larger proportion of the population. Can technologies help us in caring for ourselves, our older relatives and friends? Could we learn to live together with robots while being watched over by sensors? The people behind one EU research project certainly think so.

    Our aging population is changing our society's dynamics and our economy. By 2050 there will only be two (instead of 4) Europeans of working age for each person over 65, and within a decade Europe will need to care for an estimated 84 million people with age-related health problems.

    There is an upside to this challenge, though. Collectively, Europe's over-65's have a disposable income of over EUR 3,000 billion and a substantial part of this will be ploughed back into the caring economy. According to Stephen Von Rump, CEO of Giraff Technologies AB, the EU market for robots and other devices that help taking care of our elderly will reach EUR 13 billion by 2016, and at least EUR 14.5 billion in the U.S.

    The demand for care services has many countries stretched to the limit. That's where technology can help. Says Mr Von Rump: 'Today there are an estimated 5 million homes in the EU where elderly residents are receiving formal care services, and 12 million homes globally. Those numbers would more than double if one includes elderly who don't receive formal care, but who (or whose families) would gladly pay for a telecare service if it would extend their time living at home.'

    GIRAFF+ : A Robot Carer in your Home

    GIRAFF+ is an EU research project to test how a network of sensors in cooperation with a robot can help older people live safer, more independent lives and enjoy social life from their home. The star of the system is Giraff, a telepresence robot. It moves around the person's home and enable them to interact with family, friends and healthcare professionals via videoconference. The GIRAFF+ system comes with sensors throughout the home and in wearable devices. These sensors are designed to detect activities like cooking, sleeping or watching television, but they also provide medical information, like blood pressure and body temperature. They allow the person's carers to remotely monitor their wellbeing and to check for falls. One of the users on the GIRAFF+ pilot, 94-year-old Lea Mina Ralli, wrote on her blog: 'People ask why I don't just live with my daughter, but she has grandchildren of her own and many new responsibilities. But with this valuable assistant that I call "Mr. Robin" I'm more relaxed about the years ahead, and so are my children and grandchildren.'

    An Emerging Market in Caring Technology

    'The system will be installed into 15 homes by the end of 2014,' says Amy Loutfi, the project coordinator. 'So far we have had six homes in Europe -- two homes each in Spain, Sweden and Italy -- where people have lived with the GIRAFF+ system. We are currently in the middle of the evaluations, but we see that various aspects of the system are appreciated differently by the different users. This goes to show that there is no 'one-size fits all' approach to technology at home, and that the latter should be both adaptable and tailored to user's needs.'

    Current plans are to put the system in commercial production next year, based on an upfront fee and monthly subscriptions which would make it competitive when set alongside increasingly expensive full-time care.

    Demonstration video:

    Felt this was rather provocative...in regard to all senior citizens. J But doubt IF all could afford robots!

  • #2
    Re: Robot caregivers to help the elderly

    You know, one of the reasons why there will be less people in the work force to support the retirees is the introduction of technology which has reduced the number of jobs available. I read an interesting article in the Readers Digest in the 1990's which advocated a technology tax to pay for the reduction in jobs. I haven't heard of any country implementing it but it was talked about in Germany a few years back. Don't know if anything came of it.
    I makes sense to me thinking back to pre-computer days working in accounts. One person + one computer can do the jobs of 4 people nowadays compared to then.

    Elda

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    • #3
      Re: Robot caregivers to help the elderly

      Elda, in 1966 Harold Wilson introduced Selective Employment Tax (SET). This was designed to move people from non-industrial jobs into "industry" (e.g. Ship Building, mining, manufacturing, etc). Every company had to pay the Tax (based on Payroll I think) and then the "industrial" companies (defined by Gov't) got not only a rebate but an incentive too (at least that is what I recall). I did not hang around long enough to find out what happened to it but it must have been repealed at some point. This was the Gov't that also caused the pound to be devalued and brought in the 'financial mandarins' to oversee the economy.
      Sandy

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      • #4
        Re: Robot caregivers to help the elderly

        That's like it's always been Elda and in the case of farming due to machines it meant less employment on the farms but of course more employment to make the machines. Due to the Baby Boomers more jobs in health care. I think the main difference now is that you need to be better educated than in the past.

        Alastair

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        • #5
          Re: Robot caregivers to help the elderly

          They are talking about raising the retiral age here to 70. For one thing, try to get another job if you are unemployed and over 60......they say it's practically impossible and would only take jobs away from the youth unemployed. Another thing is that it's all very well for those who sit behind a desk all day but can you imagine a 69 year old nurse lifting & laying people? Or a 69 year old roof tiler? It has to be thought out better.

          Elda

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