Can Robots Become Caregivers at Home? Exploring Factors Associated With Intentions of Older Chinese Adults to Use Home‐Care Robots.

Background: Home‐care robots are increasingly viewed as vital tools to support older adults in aging in place, addressing the widening gap between growing care needs and limited caregiving resources. This study investigates the intention of community‐dwelling older adults in China to use home‐care r...

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Published in:Health & Social Care in the Community Vol. 2026; pp. 1 - 14
Main Authors: Che, Run-Ping, Cheung, Mei-Chun, Shi, Yiwen, Zhang, Ziye, Han, Zhujing, Ruan, Yong-Xin, Liu, Xiaoting, Kodate, Naonori, Donnelly, Sarah, Yu, Wenwei, Suwa, Sayuri, Chen, Qing-Wei
Format: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell 5/3/2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
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        atl: Can Robots Become Caregivers at Home? Exploring Factors Associated With Intentions of Older Chinese Adults to Use Home‐Care Robots.
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          Che, Run-Ping
          Cheung, Mei-Chun
          Shi, Yiwen
          Zhang, Ziye
          Han, Zhujing
          Ruan, Yong-Xin
          Liu, Xiaoting
          Kodate, Naonori
          Donnelly, Sarah
          Yu, Wenwei
          Suwa, Sayuri
          Chen, Qing-Wei
        affil: Department of Social Work,, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,, Shatin New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, cuhk.edu.hk
      sug:
        subj:
          Chinese Persons Psychosocial Factors
          Robotics Utilization
          Caregivers
          Home Environment
          Intention
          Community Living
          Human
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Surveys
          China
          Quota Sample
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Aged, 80 and Over
          Support, Psychosocial
          Safety
          Male
          Female
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Multiple Regression
          Funding Source
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Aged, 80 & over
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Home‐care robots are increasingly viewed as vital tools to support older adults in aging in place, addressing the widening gap between growing care needs and limited caregiving resources. This study investigates the intention of community‐dwelling older adults in China to use home‐care robots and identifies key factors influencing this intention. Methods: This study was conducted among 895 community‐dwelling Chinese adults ≥ 60 years using quota sampling in Shanghai, China, from November 2024 to March 2025. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the associations between various factors and the intentions of the participants to use home‐care robots. Results: The mean score of using home‐care robots was 2.88 ± 1.02 (range: 1–4). Guided by a home‐care robot‐specific model, regression analysis indicated that willingness to participate in home‐care robot research and development (β =.10, p <.05) and key product characteristics, including convenience (β =.22, p <.001), entertainment value (β =.08, p <.05), economic efficiency (β =.12, p <.05), safety (β =.15, p <.05), and size (β =.12, p <.01), were significantly associated with intention to use home‐care robots. In addition, expectations for psychological support services from the robots (β = 0.14, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with intention. Conclusion: The intention of using home‐care robots is influenced by user‐related and robot‐specific factors. To enhance adoption among older adults, it is essential to prioritize user‐centered design and actively engage older adults in community‐based pilot initiatives and participatory design processes. In addition, the integration of home‐care robots in the future could reshape caregiving practices, necessitating that human caregivers develop new competencies to work collaboratively with robotic systems and oversee coordinated care delivery.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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