Exploring the Role of Robotics in Nursing Homes: Insights from Healthcare Professionals

This paper reports findings from a qualitative descriptive study exploring the potential use of service robots in nursing homes. Participants in three workshops expressed optimism and creativity regarding the role of robots in supporting a variety of tasks, including housekeeping, transportation, monitoring, and entertainment. These findings align with previous research that identified similar task areas suitable for robots in nursing homes. Despite growing interest, the integration of robotics into elderly care remains limited due to technical, ethical, and organizational challenges. Many solutions remain in pilot stages, hindered by costs, lack of training, and safety concerns. Resistance to change, worries about reduced human contact, and unclear role definitions further slow adoption. Moreover, the absence of clear regulations and interoperability standards complicates large-scale implementation. Future research should focus on strategies that incorporate end-users' perspectives throughout the development and testing of service robots, thereby identify potential areas for increased use of service robots in nursing homes.