ABSTRACT
The recent global pandemic has affected the lives of older people particularly harshly, and reinforced the view that building capacity in health systems by utilising technologies should be one of the public policy priorities. Digital technologies are gradually being adopted as a policy solution to tackle the workforce shortage and promote ageing in place. Increasing attention is also being paid to the role of assistive welfare technology in supporting healthy ageing and the lives of people with disabilities, including people living with dementia, and the ethical issues relating to consent and human rights in this context.
This chapter will outline a brief overview of policy developments regarding care robots and assistive technology, as part of the digitalisation process, and explore the perceptions and attitudes of care professionals towards such technologies, with a particular focus on care robots and robotics-aided care. The chapter also considers major implications for gerontological social work policy and practice.
