Can You Trust Robots to Care for Your Parents?
As editor of Global Brands Magazine, I often come across technologies that aim to change lives. Most are incremental, some aspirational. But a recent visit to a robotics lab in northwest London left me reflecting on something far more personal: trust.
Inside the lab, three robotic arms moved across a bench with quiet precision. They weren’t designed to perform complex industrial work. Instead, they were learning how to assist older adults—helping them sit, stand, and move with balance. One robot gently guided a mannequin through a stretching routine. Another simulated lifting assistance responds to subtle shifts in weight.
We are entering a world where caregiving robots are not hypothetical—they’re being tested, refined, and in some cases, deployed.
A Global Response to an Ageing World
Every country is grappling with the same question: how do we care for rapidly ageing populations? The United Nations reports that by 2050, the number of people aged 60 years and older will nearly double to 2.1 billion. Japan, Italy, Germany, and South Korea already face carer shortages. In the United States, Census Bureau projections show the number of people aged 65 and older will reach 94.7 million by 2060.
This is not a problem limited to any one country. It’s global. And while policy catches up, technology is trying to fill the gaps.
What Robots Are Already Doing
In Tokyo, robots like PARO—a therapeutic seal—are used to calm patients with dementia. In South Korea, humanoid robots have been deployed in senior care facilities to monitor residents and provide basic engagement. In Finland, robotic assistance is being integrated into physiotherapy sessions and elderly rehabilitation programmes.
This isn’t the future. These are real deployments, already running in pilot programmes or early commercial settings.
Family Hesitation Is Understandable
Scepticism still exists. Several research works carried out in the last years indicate that families still have doubts about robots being the main carers. Even though a certain global survey of 2024 could not be confirmed, studies repeatedly report that about 30% to 50% of people are uncomfortable with the idea of depending solely on robots for taking care of their dear ones.
The list of reasons continues to be the same: absence of emotional capacity, worry about breakdown, privacy issues, and aversion towards machines taking care of loved ones.
But perceptions change with experience. When trials were conducted in care homes and private households across the UK, Germany, and Japan, a majority of users and their families reported growing comfort over time. In follow-up interviews, many family members shifted to a neutral or positive view after observing a robot in use.
Real Stories from Real Homes
In Birmingham, Jasmin shared that her father’s robot alerted her after a minor fall, guided him to sit upright, and sent her a notification. “It doesn’t replace us,” she said, “but it helps us show up better.” In Osaka, a woman described how her elderly mother responded positively to a robotic assistant that reminded her to eat and performed daily stretching exercises alongside her. These aren’t isolated cases—they represent the start of a pattern.
The Science and the Limitations
The eldercare robot market is gaining traction, with several forecasts projecting it to reach around $6.5 billion by 2030. Market analysis from sources like TechSci Research and others support this trajectory.
Technically, robots are progressing fast. MIT has developed a prototype capable of catching a person mid-fall—an engineering milestone. But these robots remain tools. They assist; they do not yet replace human presence or judgement.
Robotics research indicates the same results over and over again: robots are good at repetitive and structured work but fail in such areas as empathy, moral reasoning, and improvisation. The skills just mentioned are the ones that human carers apply in their work every day—mood adaptation, listening, interpreting silences, and knowing when to change the routine.
Cultural Adaptation Matters
What works in Stockholm may not work in São Paulo. Care norms differ across cultures. In some regions, care is considered a family obligation. In others, it is professionalised. Robots entering these spaces must adapt to local customs—not just language but also expectations of warmth, familiarity, and behaviour.
Designing a robot for a retirement home in Toronto may involve a different personality interface than one intended for rural China.
Policy and Regulation Are Still Forming
There’s no unified global standard for robot carers. Some countries—like South Korea—have clearer frameworks due to earlier adoption. In the UK and much of Europe, regulatory agencies are observing pilot projects but haven’t rolled out formal certification paths.
Until frameworks mature, questions of accountability, safety, and insurance will linger.
What You Should Know Before You Decide
Families considering robot care should ask direct questions: Is the device medically certified? How is data stored and secured? Can it operate offline? Has it been tested in similar living environments or health conditions?
This isn’t about fear. It’s about informed decision-making. If you’re choosing a care assistant for your loved one, the same due diligence applies whether it’s a human or a machine.
The Role of Global Brands
Technology giants and health-tech startups are shaping this market. Toyota, SoftBank Robotics, and Panasonic are active investors in eldercare robotics, particularly in Japan. In Europe, KOMPAÏ Robotics and Giraff Technologies are among the companies gaining traction in assistive robotic development for elderly populations.
Meanwhile, consumer tech leaders like Amazon and Apple are embedding health monitoring tools into home devices, laying the foundation for broader ecosystems that may soon include physical robotic carers.
For brands entering this space, the message is clear: the market exists, the demand is growing, but the trust must be earned.
A Question for All of Us
As the lines between caregiving and technology continue to blur, we’re faced with choices we didn’t imagine a decade ago.
Can machines offer companionship? Should they? Will our parents respond positively to robotic voices, routines, and prompts—or resist them?
Each family will answer differently.
As a publication that has tracked brand trust for over a decade, one thing remains consistent: trust is built slowly. The same applies to eldercare robots.
Not everyone is ready. But the conversation has already begun.
Would you welcome a robot into your parents’ care plan?