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"Crafting ethics": older peoples’ experiences of using medication-dispensing robots in Swedish home care services
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work. (Användbar automatisering: mot en förståelse av robotar och AI i socialtjänsten ur ett organisatoriskt och brukarperspektiv)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5269-1961
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work. (Användbar automatisering: mot en förståelse av robotar och AI i socialtjänsten ur ett organisatoriskt och brukarperspektiv)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0427-7248
2025 (English)In: Journal of technology in human services, ISSN 1522-8835, E-ISSN 1522-8991, Vol. 43, no 1, p. 49-72Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The aim of this study was to identify the consequences related to ethical values in older people’s experiences of using medication-dispensing robots in Swedish home care services. The research material comprised 17 qualitative interviews with people aged 67–90 years. An assemblage perspective was used to analyze the material. The study results showed that medication-dispensing robots contributed to feelings of safety and continuity among older people but that robots could also limit feelings of autonomy for people with more outwardly oriented lifestyles. The introduction of robots changed roles and relations in eldercare, with older people having to actively add and compensate for perceived limitations in robot functionalities. To feel both safe and autonomous, older people had to “craft” ethics by putting different kinds of effort into everyday care involving medication-dispensing robots. In the study, ethics in home care came forth as a cocreational, ongoing, and precarious practice rather than a set of ethical principles embedded in robotic technology. Given that home care services for older people involve several key stakeholders, it would be of interest to identify and compare different perspectives of ethics and what potential benefits could come from using medication-dispensing robots in home care services.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2025. Vol. 43, no 1, p. 49-72
Keywords [en]
Medication-dispensing robots, home care services, ethics, eldercare, digital care technology
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-233440DOI: 10.1080/15228835.2024.2447698ISI: 001391138800001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85214271126OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-233440DiVA, id: diva2:1924400
Funder
Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, 2021-01422Available from: 2025-01-06 Created: 2025-01-06 Last updated: 2025-04-03Bibliographically approved

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Hjelte, JanLindberg, Jens

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