AI in Nonmedical Caregiving & the Role of Human Oversight
AI tools are increasingly embedded in caregiving platforms to assist family members and agency staff in managing nonmedical Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, meal prep, and mobility assistance.
These tools often include features like scheduling support, personalized suggestions, voice-activated assistance, and alerts. However, these AI tools must be “trained”—meaning they rely on algorithms built from large datasets and refined based on user feedback and behavioral patterns.
While AI can streamline and personalize care routines, a human must still review and evaluate the AI’s outputs to ensure accuracy, relevance, and safety. AI can misinterpret context, overgeneralize, or make inappropriate suggestions if left unchecked. This is especially important in caregiving, where trust, individual needs, and dignity are central.
Real-Life Scenario: Nonmedical AI Guidance in Home Care
Scenario: A family caregiver named Lisa uses an AI-powered assistant installed in her mother’s home. The tool sends prompts to remind her mother to drink water, take a walk, or prepare lunch.
It also tracks her mother’s activity patterns and suggests minor changes—like adjusting mealtimes to better fit her energy levels. The AI flags a pattern where her mother is skipping breakfast and recommends alerting Lisa to check in.
Lisa reviews the recommendation and realizes her mother is waking up later due to poor sleep, not loss of appetite. She updates the schedule accordingly. The AI now suggests new reminders based on this adjusted routine.
Key Takeaways:
- The AI offers real-time support, promoting independence for the elder and reducing Lisa’s cognitive load.
- Lisa must still evaluate the AI’s suggestions. Without human review, the AI might have escalated a non-issue or applied a generic solution that didn’t fit her mother’s unique situation.
- The process illustrates how AI assists but doesn’t replace the caregiver’s role in nonclinical decision-making.