Expansion of elderly care robots mooted

As China grapples with a shortage of nursing personnel, national lawmakers and political advisers have turned to technology, proposing elderly care robots as a practical and warm solution for an aging society during the recently concluded two sessions.

"As China enters the stage of moderate aging, we all expect that robots will become the mainstay of elderly care in the future, compensating for the shortage of nursing labor and addressing issues such as caregiver impatience, inadequate attention, and even some extreme cases of misconduct," said Zhao Xiaoguang, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhao said robots, especially humanoid ones with flexible joints and human-like problem-solving capabilities, can assist caregivers in performing physically demanding or repetitive tasks in elderly care.

These include transferring elderly people from a bed to a wheelchair, providing feeding assistance that requires sustained patience, and delivering storytelling services to offer emotional companionship.

"Currently, China leads the global development of humanoid robots, demonstrating strong competitiveness in key technologies and product performance," she said, adding that their large-scale application is still in an exploratory phase worldwide.

Unlike industrial robots, which have evolved over 70 years, humanoid robots have rapidly advanced in the past few years with the development of AI large models. However, they face major challenges in areas such as technical maturity, social acceptance, liability definition, and privacy security.

"The sustainable and rapid development of an emerging technology often require concerted efforts from developers, enterprises, the public, and government," said Zhao, highlighting the importance of aligning technological design with the well-being of the elderly, directing research and development to meet market demand, and adopting an agile governance approach by adjusting regulatory intensity based on the maturity of the technology.

Lu Jianhua, a CPPCC National Committee member and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also expressed positive prospects for the future development of elderly care robots.

Lu, however, noted that in current nursing institutions, the service capabilities and functions of elderly care robots are confined to basic tasks and require further upgrading. "Elderly care robots should serve as partners to human caregivers, not replacements," he added.

Chen Wei, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and associate dean of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, in an interview with The Paper, stressed the need for a new "AI+ human" model to ensure high-quality, dignified last days for the elderly.

Chen suggested that enterprises should increase R&D investment to develop robots and smart home tools that would cater to the needs of the elderly.

Chen also proposed that the government strengthen policy support to reduce the price of AI-powered elderly care devices, making them affordable and accessible for all. In addition, unified age-friendly standards for such technologies should be introduced.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that by the end of 2025, the population aged 60 and above in China reached 323 million, accounting for 23 percent of the total population. It is estimated that this population group will surpass 400 million by around 2035, accounting for over 30 percent of the total population, according to the National Health Commission.

To address this, a proactive response to population aging is emphasized in both this year's Government Work Report and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development.

Both documents propose expanding the supply of inclusive elderly care services and promoting the integrated development of elderly care services and industries, ensuring that the seniors are well cared for, engaged, and able to enjoy their later years.

Elderly care will extend from nursing institutions to families, communities, and hospitals, and intelligent service systems, along with intelligent auxiliary equipment, will greatly alleviate the strain.

Contact the writers at limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn