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The world’s population is aging — in America alone, 10,000 people turn 65 everyday and 70 percent of those will require long-term care. To cope with demand, the caregiving industry will need to triple its workforce to 6 million people. To provide assistance, Luvozo has developed SAM, a robotic concierge, which can provide some of the services to care home residents and take the pressure off the staff.

To use, caregivers program a daily schedule of tasks for SAM. These include regular check-ins with patients, tele-communication between patients and off-site care professionals via a large screen, and providing reminders about meals and activities. It can also give the patient news and family updates. SAM uses a mapping functionality, so it can navigate the building autonomously and even keep watch for hazards.

We have seen other robots such as TUGs and VGo, which can assist staff at medical facilities and during after care. While all the devices can be incredibly useful as support and backup, it is important to ensure that they do not replace the human interaction, which is vital to good care, especially in the case of elderly care homes.

How else could technology be used to assist caregivers?