Aging societies worldwide face rising demand for elder care amid caregiver shortages. In China, robots in care facilities assist with reminders, medication schedules, and vital sign monitoring. In Latin America, including Cuba, adoption of these technologies remains in early stages but shows promise in complementing family care.
In a care facility in China's Jiangsu province, a waist-high white robot glides between rooms, greeting with a cheerful digital face. It reminds caregivers to reposition bedridden residents, prompts medication schedules, and tracks basic vital signs, notifying medical staff of unusual changes in heart rate or breathing.
This innovation addresses a pressing global issue. According to Pension Policy International, in countries like Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, more than 15 percent of the population is aged 65 or older. In Cuba, the FIU Cuban Research Institute projects that by 2050, about 1.4 million Cubans—roughly 40 percent of the older population—will be over 80.
In many Latin American and Chinese societies, elder care relies heavily on families, but smaller household sizes and migration strain these systems. Service robots are drawing attention and investment.
While fully autonomous humanoid robots for cooking and cleaning remain distant, targeted innovations are making impacts. For instance, exoskeletons aid mobility; Wu Liying, a 70-year-old from Hangzhou, said: “I felt the equipment lifted my legs and made walking much easier,” after climbing two floors without rest.
Nursing robots ease tasks like post-bowel movement cleaning. A caregiver in China's Shaanxi province noted: “Before, I spent more than half a day cleaning waste and changing bedding. Now, with nursing robots, I have more time to talk with my older residents.”
In Latin America, Mexico employs robotic devices in private clinics for mobility therapy. In Cuba, universities experiment with small educational and social robots in healthcare. Brazil trials exoskeletons in post-stroke rehabilitation.
Yet, home use is limited by high costs—an exoskeleton runs about $22,000—and real-world challenges like small apartments. Wang Sumei, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stressed improving technical expertise and data collection, though expensive.
Experts clarify that care robots do not replace humans but handle repetitive tasks to enable more personalized care. Broader policies, such as health insurance expansion and community services, are vital. In China, the 15th Five-Year Plan starting in 2026 prioritizes elderly care with institutional support.
