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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday August 29 2017, @12:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the it-better-be-able-to-argue dept.

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?


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  • (Score: 1) by ewk on Wednesday August 30 2017, @12:24PM (1 child)

    by ewk (5923) on Wednesday August 30 2017, @12:24PM (#561453)

    Call me cynical, but eventually the insurance company will make the trade off between 'care' or 'coffin'...
    What better spy for providing the information needed for that decision than the care-bot?

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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday August 30 2017, @01:05PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday August 30 2017, @01:05PM (#561470) Journal

    Call me cynical, but eventually the insurance company will make the trade off between 'care' or 'coffin'...

    Cynical? Don't be offended, but I'd call you naive.
    Of course their choice will favour "coffin" and, if the insured is over 80, it's a good bet they'll go for it and deny claims.
    For the simple reason that you'll need to win a suit against them to get your money.
    Good luck fighting against their lawyers when you need money to pay for your health.

    Some examples [abc.net.au] in the part of the world I live

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