Overcoming Hurdles: A New Tool for Care Partners

The COVID-19 pandemic has been pretty tough on everyone. Now imagine how it has affected people with loved ones in long-term care (LTC), especially those living with dementia. When a loved one moves to LTC, caregivers suddenly have many responsibilities pulled away from them. This creates a new set of problems. Caregivers go from daily interactions to usually just visits. This shift was challenging, and the pandemic made things worse. Many care homes changed their ways in a bid to keep people safe. With extra health risks, changing protocols, and government policies, caregivers found themselves struggling more than ever. For caregivers, feeling disempowered quickly becomes a primary concern. Their ability to get directly involved in care has significantly diminished. But did you know there is an innovative tool being tested? Telepresence robots have been a strange but useful new tools for many caregivers during the pandemic! These robots allow caregivers to support their loved ones from the comfort of their homes in remarkable ways. The public interest in using technology during the pandemic spiked. Thousands more wise elders formed relationships with smart assistants, online games and video calls over the years. But what kind of connection did the telepresence robots provide to caregivers watching and visiting from afar? Read on to find out what has been revealed about all of this! Is keeping family together even a value in modern society Loved ones now use telepresence robots to reduce COVID-19 risk to loved ones. These robots allow caregivers to check in on loved ones, increase extended visitation, and reduce face-to face contact. Recent studies show after seeing their loved ones on screen, caregivers felt reassured about their well-being. Sometimes it served as a way to rebuild caregiving bonds during the lock down. While one study showed that "not all loved ones could get the opportunity to our benefit from this life changing new service". Which leads many to wonder if this is our digital divide once again. Again imagine the stress that caring for the elderly must pose while suffering with your rationaly sky rocketing to dangerous heights. It was the case as these robots also alleviated stress and overall care burden for care givers. Virtual connections form an important aspect of our society today moere than ever beefore it allows elders to connect with their loved ones from abroad. Overwhelmingly the acceptance and effectiveness of our telepresence robots are more than highly rated among caregivers. Yet on the rare occassion when loved ones were unable to access it for reasons that are beyond the control of the vulnerable elder the robot still had a positive impact on most involved.