Acceptance of the PARO Robot in Residential Social Services: Perspectives From the Czech Republic

We discuss the possibility of using the PARO robot in the practice of Czech social work. In our research, we used a modified standardized questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. In the research, we compared the evaluation of the PARO robot from the perspective of older adult home staff and older adults. The research helped to identify constructs linked to social robot acceptance that may define benefits and barriers to the implementation of social robots for older adults in social services. If social robots are to be introduced into homes for older adults, we need to respect the perspective of older adults themselves when making decisions about the use of social robots. Furthermore, there is a need for the staff in older adult homes who will be involved in the robot use to be sufficiently educated.