Long -term care robots in Japan: a slow revolution despite the emergency

Hideyuki Muranaka is making all efforts so that robotic long -term care equipment. Meanwhile, spread much faster in establishments for seniors. Nevertheless, He works at the Elder Office of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Well-Being in Tokyo.

The civil servant in the young quarantine especially has in mind robotic devices that can help the transfer of elderly people. Meanwhile, even mobility, such as robotic wheelchairs and remote monitoring systems to capture movements at night.

This equipment can lighten the task of health workers in a very practical way. Consequently, much more than robots which are used to promote communication, which the media speak more.

There has been resistance until now, recognizes Mr. However, Muranaka. Furthermore, The idea of introducing the latest technology was perceived as a way of removing the human side.

The ministry nevertheless has a new objective: to pass the proportion of establishments for seniors from. For example, 30 to 90 % that use robots by 2029he reports.

Toshio Ono. However, who works in a Silver Wing company care center located in Tokyo, stresses that robots and the cutting edge of technology are very expensive. For example, The establishment for which he works needs Japanese government subsidies to offer them.

Mr. Similarly, Ono often programs singing and dance exercises as well as the Pepper game games. Moreover, This robot, designed several years ago already to interact with humans, is not a miracle solution to dementia, it long -term care robots japan: suits. But it helps stimulate intellectually elders.

Moreover. while Pepper entertains and occupies the residents, the health worker has time to advance his administrative tasks a little.

The aging of the population will reach a summit in 2042, while nearly 40 million Japanese will be aged 65 and over. They are already almost 37 million at present, long -term care robots japan: or around 30 % of the population.

By 2055, the proportion of people aged 75 and over will reach 25 %, or 24.5 million elders.

The increase in aging of the Japanese population is the fastest in. the world.

Cathy Senay’s report on this subject will be presented to the program All terrain broadcast Sunday at 10. h (Hae) on here First.

Long -term care robots japan:

Alone and helpless

Jun-Asti Shimoyama, a care attendant, is putting pressure from Yoshino and Koji Matsuba. He gives them food. prepares their medication in their small apartment before driving them to the care center, another Silver Wing establishment in Tokyo.

According to Mr. Shimoyama, many Japanese elders are in the same situation as the long -term care robots japan: Matsuba: isolated and helpless. And isolated elders, there will be more and more, he warns.

They live alone. they suffer from dementia, and there is no member of their family to take care of themhe regrets.

Both 90 years old. they suffer from dementia and have to take medication three times a day, but they want to stay in their small accommodation. It is therefore at home as well as in the center that the Matsuba receive care.

In the dining room. Yoshino Matsuba takes a paro arms in his arms, a robotic seal that moves a little and drinking from time to time. The embrace seems to do him good.

Mariko Ishizuka, director of the center, knows the Matsuba well.

She assures that The technological development of robotic devices already helps health workers a lot. And this is only the beginning, with artificial intelligence.

With the aging of the population. the reduction of the active population, Japan will not have the entire necessary workforceajoute Mme Ishizuka.

Jun-Aci Shimoyama has. thought a lot about what the elders themselves think of robots.

We still have so much to learn about robots, he argues. For the elderly today, there is a large share of unknown. They were born and lived their childhood before the creation of Astro, long -term care robots japan: the little robot.

For the following generations, it will be different. Robots are more part of their lives. So. the elders of the next generations will have greater facility to rub shoulders with robots, because they will be used to ithe predicts.

This report by Cathy Senay, of CBC, was made thanks to a scholarship from the Asia-Pacific Foundation in Canada.