Social Workers’ Perspectives on Socially Isolated Older Adults Living with a Robot Companion

ABSTRACT

Addressing depression and social isolation among solo-living older adults in South Korea requires a multi-faceted approach. This study aims to explore the advantages and obstacles of a robotic elder care program by analyzing social workers’ viewpoints regarding interactions between older adults and a companion robot named Hyodol. Through the purposive sampling method, we conducted comprehensive interviews with 10 social workers who are pioneering the integration of robots in elder care. The study participants observed and compared the demographic characteristics of users and non-users, elucidated usage patterns, described the roles of robot companions, and shared remarkable instances. Overall, the experiences of these social workers underscored the positive influence of Hyodol in offering companionship, care, and emotional support, especially in circumstances where clients experienced isolation or lacked regular family interactions. In addition, social workers’ perspectives hold significant value in comprehending the genuine effects of anthropomorphism – the inclination to attribute human-like qualities and emotions to robots. Our investigation revealed the existence of two distinct modes of personification among older adults, which we have labeled as “imagination” and “projection.”

KEYWORDS:

• Companion robots
• gerontological social workers
• South Korea
• home care
• anthropomorphism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions.

Ethics approval statement

This research proposal was approved by the Institutional Review Board for Research with Human Subjects (KH2020–158).

Patient consent statement

Informed consent was read to each study participant, and signatures were obtained from all participants.

Permission to reproduce material from other sources

There are no reproducible materials from other sources in this manuscript.