Ageing, Care and Technology

The way in which we provide care and support for ageing members of society is facing many pressures. Faced with rapidly increasing demand, projected workforce shortages, and greater pressure on family carers to participate in paid work, the long-term care industry is facing worsening staff shortages and families are unlikely to fill this gap. This has been coupled with policy shifts that have seen cuts to funding for long-term care, an imperative towards marketisation and managerialism, and a move to individualised funding models of care. At the same time, there is greater desire from both older people and policymakers to enable older people to age independently in the community. These shifts have raised new dialogue about the potentialities of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and social robots to improve the care experience and the independence, wellbeing and social connectedness of older people, while also meeting managerial and fiscal objectives of efficiency.

The emergence of digital technologies and AI in the care of older people raises new questions about the ethical, socio-material and relational nature of care and support for older people, the future of care work and care relationships, and the opportunities and limitations that technology can present to older people's sense of place and space. This session invites papers that engage with these questions in different geographical contexts, care settings, and in the wider community.