Value Ranking for Difficulties with Care Technology: A Survey for the Development of Nursing-care Robots as Collaboration between Nursing and Engineering

Abstract

This study addressed the difficulties in using care technologies for executing direct care activities (such as mobility, bathing, meal, and transfer assistance) that require a large amount of time for the care workers. We identified the characteristics of value ranking for difficulties with care technologies by the type of elderly welfare facilities. A total of 1701 care workers of 108 facilities (including nursing homes for the elderly, long-term care beds, long-term care hospitals, multifunctional long-term care in a small group, daycare services for the elderly, and group homes for people with dementia) in X prefecture, who participated in this survey were analyzed. This survey was a self-administered questionnaire ranking the value of care technologies, and the responses were analyzed using Thurston’s pair comparison method. Value ranking by care workers indicated that technologies used to address difficulties in meal assistance, aspiration prevention, and bathing assistance were highly valued, regardless of the type of facility. These results will become the basic data to determine targets to develop nursing care robots, which prioritize the needs of care facilities.