The machine revolution may be a staple of science fiction, but at some senior living sites, robots are being hailed as a literal lifeline. Especially at a time when the industry continues to face staffing shortages.
The Parker Jewish Institute added a security robot this week, a Knightscope K5 model.
The robot is already patrolling the institute’s halls and lobbies, alerting staff if it encounters an issue, and allowing residents and staff to press a duress button manually.
Shaped like a space shuttle cockpit, the K5 weighs 400 pounds, is over five feet tall and can roll across the floor at up to three miles an hour.
The K5 is already “a welcome figure at Parker,” a spokesperson for Parker said in a statement.
“Our security robot is deployed throughout the day, further increasing the security of everyone on the Parker premises,” Parker CEO Michael Rosenblut said in a statement. “We are pleased to implement this state-of-the-art technology, making Parker a safer, more secure environment, which is of utmost importance to us.”
The institute, located in New Hyde Park, NY, serves as both a long-term care and rehab facility.
The K5 isn’t the only new robot in the game: Senior living operator Life Care Services says the 50 robotic assistants it deployed last year — Whiz units from SoftBank Robotics — saved staffers 21,000 hours of cleaning and 80 million square feet of vacuuming in 2022.
The Whiz cleaners have not only become popular with LCS residents but also have allowed staff to reallocate time to take care of patients, the company states.
Many long-term care facilities also have started using server bots in dining halls and kitchens.
While the Whiz and Knightscope models have a more functional aesthetic, in a Roomba or R2-D2 mold, future robots in the senior living industry may eventually take on a more humanoid form.
