Facing high employee turnover and an ageing population, nursing homes have increasingly turned to robots to complete a variety of care tasks, but few researchers have explored how these technologies impact workers and the quality of care.
A new study from a University of Notre Dame expert on the future of work finds that robot use is associated with increased employment and employee retention, improved productivity and a higher quality of care. The research has important implications for the workplace and the long-term care industry.
Yong Suk Lee, Associate Professor of technology, economy and global affairs at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, was the lead author of the study, published in Labour Economics.
Most studies of robots in the workplace have focused on manufacturing and the industrial sector, but Lee's
research broke new ground by analysing long-term care – and by looking at the different types of robots used in this setting. Researchers drew on surveys of Japanese nursing homes taken in 2020 and 2022.
"Our research focused on Japan because it is a super-ageing society that provides a good example of what the future could entail elsewhere – a declining population, a growing share of senior citizens and a declining share of working-age people," Lee said.
"We need to be ready for this new reality."
In 2022, for instance, more than 57 million US residents were 65 or older, according to the National Council on Aging. The Census Bureau forecasts that by 2050, this number will grow to 88.5 million.
The impact on workers
In a future where there are more senior
citizens requiring care, using robots in a targeted fashion could benefit workers and patients alike, Lee said.
The study analysed three types of robots that are increasingly used in assisted living facilities:
• Transfer robots, which nurses use to lift, move and rotate patients in beds and around rooms
• Mobility robots, which patients use to move around and to bathe
• Monitoring and communication robots, which include technologies such as computer vision and bed sensors that can monitor patient data such as movement and share it with care providers
"We found that robot adoption complements care workers by reducing quit rates," Lee said.
"This is important because turnover is a big concern in nursing homes. Workers typically experience a great deal of physical pain, particularly in their knees and back.
“The
work is hard and the pay is low. So, robot use was associated with employee retention."
While robot use was associated with an overall employment increase, Lee said, the trend seems to have helped some workers more than others: it was associated with an increased demand for part-time, less experienced employees and with less demand for more experienced workers.
Improving patient care
Patients benefitted in facilities that have used robots, according to the study. The nursing homes that Lee's team studied reported a decrease in the use of patient restraints and in the pressure ulcers or bedsores that nursing home residents commonly suffer, largely because of a lack of mobility.
Both metrics are widely used in the long-term care industry to measure patient outcomes, Lee said.
By removing the physical strain associated with
certain tasks, Lee said, robots may have made room for care workers to focus on tasks better suited for human beings.
"Robots can improve productivity by shifting the tasks performed by care workers to those involving human touch, empathy and dexterity," Lee said.
"Ultimately, robots can help workers provide a higher level of patient care."
"This research provides critical insights into how societies can successfully navigate the challenges of caring for ageing populations."
The future of work
Lee co-authored the study with Toshiaki Iizuka from the University of Tokyo and Karen Eggleston from Stanford University.
This latest research fits into Lee's ongoing work to examine how new technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics, affect inequality and the future of work.
"This research provides critical insights into how societies can successfully navigate the challenges of caring for ageing populations," Lee said.
"It will help inform the work of the long-term care industry and help us better understand how technologies impact workers and patients."