Assistive robots and monitoring devices could help solve the world’s growing dementia crisis according to a leading Griffith University health expert.
In a paper published in Nature Reviews Neurology, Professor Wendy Moyle from Menzies Health Institute Queensland, says technologies that augment existing care can maintain a person comfortably in their community, maximise individual autonomy and promote social participation.
Professor Moyle said robots potentially had many advantages compared with human care.
“They can be programmed to provide care in an emotionally supportive way that avoids abuse of the rights of the person. Human care can be less consistent, and the quality of human-provided care depends on how busy the carer is and how they feel about the individual.
“Currently 50 million people are living with dementia world-wide and by 2050 it’s predicted that number will rise to 152 million people. With no cure in sight, we must consider how to care for these individuals in the future.”
Read the full Story at Griffith University
