Despite innovations that make it easier for seniors to keep living on their own rather than moving into special facilities, most elderly people eventually need a hand with chores and other everyday activities.
Friends and relatives often can't do all the work. Growing evidence indicates it's neither sustainable nor healthy for seniors or their loved ones. Yet demand for professional caregivers already far outstrips supply, and experts say this workforce shortage will only get worse.
So how will our society bridge this elder-care gap? In a word, robots.
Just as automation has begun to do jobs previously seen as uniquely suited for humans, like retrieving goods from warehouses, robots will assist your elderly relatives.
Would you entrust grandma to Johnny 5?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday August 29 2017, @01:59PM (1 child)
Mmmm... I'm quite afraid all you'll get is an ED-209 (of Robocop fame); extrapolating the way the things progress now, that's likely all your family will be able to afford when you'll be old enough. Even more, it will be on a shared lease, co-contributed by many families - don't worry, even if not cheap it won't be terrible expensive, the lease won't be necessary for longer than few minutes/family.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 29 2017, @03:11PM
Nah, I think they'll have a more pleasant response than that, because it's better for public relations. Something along these lines [youtube.com].
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.