Assistive Care Robots and Older Adults: Employing a Care Ethics Lens

Abstract

To date, ethical critiques of the use of assistive healthcare robotics have not closely examined the purported care relationship between such robots and their users. Drawing upon the work of care ethics scholars, I argue that authentic care relies upon capacities inherently reciprocal and responsive in nature, which ultimately precludes socially assistive robots from being useful caring tools. Résumé Abstract Jusqu’à présent, les critiques éthiques de l’utilisation de la robotique d’assistance médicale n’ont pas examiné de près la prétendue relation de soins entre ces robots et leurs utilisateurs. En m’appuyant sur les travaux des spécialistes de l’éthique des soins, je soutiens que les soins authentiques reposent sur des capacités intrinsèquement réciproques et réactives par nature, ce qui empêche en définitive les robots d’assistance sociale d’être des outils de soins utiles. To date, ethical critiques of the use of assistive healthcare robotics have not closely examined the purported care relationship between such robots and their users. Drawing upon the work of care ethics scholars, I argue that authentic care relies upon capacities inherently reciprocal and responsive in nature, which ultimately precludes socially assistive robots from being useful caring tools. to descriptive SAR a meaningful way. robotics technology to be in extensive way, the of human carers, a substandard provision of care to older adults in