OBJECTIVE

Frailty is one of the most problematic expressions of aging and causes older adults to require more assistance in daily life. Care robots have been proposed as a potential solution to bridge the widening gap between the demand and supply of healthcare services. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of care robots in supporting older adults living with frailty.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted, including peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 2000 to April 2025. A quality assessment was performed on the included studies, and the results were summarized narratively.

RESULTS

Of the nine studies reviewed, five examined the impact of care robots on physical frailty. Three of these studies reported positive outcomes, while two found no significant effects on physical frailty. The impact of care robots on psychological frailty was assessed in four studies, but no significant effects were found. Regarding usability, the perceived usability of care robots among frail older adults was generally low, primarily due to technical limitations. Usability also varied depending on the specific contexts in which the robots were deployed.

CONCLUSIONS

Care robots have the potential to improve physical frailty in older adults, although their impact on psychological and social frailty remains limited. Usability challenges persist, underscoring the need for further refinement in robot design, user experience, and contextual factors to enhance their effectiveness and usability for this population.