The United States will have more adults aged 65 and over than children by the year 2035, the US Census Bureau says As the American population ages, the demand for services and care for older adults is growing.
SenCura is a company that provides non-medical at-home care for seniors in the northern Virginia area. Cliff Glier founded the company 12 years ago. He says its services include help with bathing, transportation, getting dressed and planning and preparing meals.
Hollie is one of SenCura's professional caregivers. She visits 88-year-old Olga Robertson's home every day for three hours. Robertson says she likes having Hollie's help.
“Well, she cooks for me and she does a good job. She takes me to appointments (约会) and things like that and whatever I want to do. Sometimes, we go to walk in the mall if it's cold out in the winter time.”
But when Hollie is not around, Robertson still has a caregiver—a robot named Rudy, who can have a conversation and also tells jokes and plays games and dances with Robertson.
In addition to keeping Robertson mentally and physically active, Rudy provides services 24 hours a day. He watches for lost things, reminds Robertson about her doctor's appointments and tells her when it is time to take her medicine. The robot is a little more than one meter tall. It has a screen that makes checking in with family and caregivers easy.
Anthony Nunez is the founder of INF Robotics, the company that created Rudy. He says the idea for the robotic caregiver was inspired by what his own mother lived through when his grandmother got older.
SenCura's Cliff Glier met Nunez and his team at an event more than a year ago. He became interested in introducing Rudy to his own customers. Glier says Rudy is not competition for human caregivers. He says the robot is there to help but cannot do all the things that caregivers do, like bathing and dressing seniors.
