Robots for Elderly Care: An Honest Guide for Families and Care Providers

Most robots for elderly care fall into three groups.

• Companion robots talk, remind and connect people with family. ElliQ is the best-known example.
• Robot pets are soft animals that purr, move and respond to touch. See our robot pet guide.
• Care-home robots such as Andromeda's Abi lead group activities and chat with residents. They are sold to providers, not families.

Robots that physically help people stand, walk or move are still mostly in research. MIT's E-BAR, for example, is a prototype that supports a person's weight and uses airbags to catch falls, but MIT describes it as remote-controlled and still in development. Be wary of any listing that promises a home robot that can provide personal care today.

The evidence is encouraging in places but thinner than marketing suggests.

• A 2019 systematic review of robot pets in care homes (Abbott and colleagues, 19 studies) found residents and staff described benefits for loneliness, mood and quality of life. When the trial data were pooled, only agitation showed a statistically significant improvement, and only for PARO. The authors said it is not yet known whether benefits last.
• A 2024 report on ElliQ (Broadbent and colleagues, including company staff) found that 80% of 173 surveyed users agreed they felt less lonely with the robot. The authors stress this was not a randomised trial and that controlled trials are still needed.
• New York State's ageing office reported a "95% reduction in loneliness" from its ElliQ programme. The published release does not explain how this was measured, so treat it as a programme report rather than a clinical finding.

In short, robots can be a source of comfort and routine for some people. They are not a treatment for dementia or depression, and nobody should expect them to be.

Any device with a camera or microphone in someone's home deserves careful thought.

• Ask what is recorded. ElliQ's FAQ says its cameras act as motion sensors and only fully switch on for features the user chooses, such as video calls, and that it listens only for its wake word when idle.
• Ask who sees updates. Family alerts should be something the older person agrees to, not something set up around them.
• Respect the person's choice. Some people find a robot pet comforting; others find it patronising. Offer it, do not insist.
• Be honest. Care organisations generally advise against telling someone with dementia that a robot pet is a real animal.

Every credible source we reviewed makes the same point. Intuition Robotics says it does not believe ElliQ can replace human companionship. Staff at the Australian care provider using Abi describe it as an extra layer of companionship alongside carers. A robot cannot notice a subtle change in someone's health the way a familiar visitor can, and it cannot call an ambulance on its own. Use a robot to fill quiet hours, not to reduce visits.

1. Start with the person. Do they enjoy chatting, or would they rather stroke a cat? Are they comfortable with screens?
2. Check where it is sold. ElliQ is US only. Robot pets are widely available in the US and UK.
3. Add up the full cost. Include subscriptions, batteries and return fees. ElliQ, for example, charges a non-return fee if the leased device is not sent back after cancelling.
4. Look for free programmes. Several US state ageing offices have given out robot pets and ElliQ devices at no cost to eligible older adults.
5. Keep safety separate. If falls or emergencies are the worry, a dedicated medical alert system is still the right tool.