The human-robot division of labor in home care for older adults with disabilities: A multi-stakeholder qualitative...

Global population aging has increased the number of older adults with disabilities. Most reside at home, placing heavy care burdens on family members. While intelligent robotic technology is increasingly seen as a potential solution, little is known about how diverse stakeholders perceive the division of labor between humans and robots in home-based care.

To explore multiple stakeholders' perspectives on the division of labor between humans and robots in home care for older adults with disabilities.

A descriptive qualitative study was employed. A total of 26 participants were recruited from six stakeholder groups: older adults with disabilities, family caregivers, professional caregivers, institutional managers, ethicists, and robotics engineers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Shanghai, China, between November 2025 and January 2026. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

"A robot is after all not a human" emerged as a central thread linking five interrelated themes: (a) ontological premises of human-robot division of labor; (b) pragmatic capability mapping and complementarity, revealing a reciprocal "integrated two sides" structure; (c) operational task boundaries and allocation criteria, defining what can and cannot be delegated to robots; (d) operational models of human-robot collaboration, ranging from robot-only to human-only execution; and (e) contextual barriers and implementation constraints, including external factors and individual differences. Participants across groups shared the conviction that robots may extend human capabilities but cannot replace genuine care.

The findings underscore that care must remain human-centered. The challenge lies not in maximizing automation but in designing systems that respect human dignity and preserve meaningful human connection, always remembering that a robot, after all, is not a human.