‘It is such a wonderful gift’: Robotic arm restores independence in long-term care during mealtimes

Occupational therapists at a long-term care home in Victoria have inspired a fundraising campaign that brought OBI robotic arms to the dining hall, so some residents can enjoy their meals independently again.

“It is such a wonderful gift,” says The Summit resident Audrey Harry.

The former nurse says she was quick to take up an offer to test out the robotic arm, which she’s dubbed “Edward the Eater.”

The gadget has an attachment connection point for utensils and four trays for food. Then at the touch of a few buttons, the person in control can prompt it to scoop, move to the next tray, or lift food to the person receiving it.

“It makes mealtimes fun and it’s great entertainment for my tablemates,” she says. “They love watching me eat and they comment on whether the spoon’s working properly, whether it’s too full or whether it took too big a bite. They’ve got lots to stay about it!”

An occupational therapist at Island Health’s The Summit facility says her team has been talking about the piece of technology since the care home’s inception. Due to cost, the dream never actualized until summer 2025 when the manufacturer sent a demo for testing.

“As an OT, our job is to try to promote independence as long as possible and so something like this is, you know, life changing,” says occupational therapist Sarah Rosen.

The Eldercare Foundation, which is a charity that supports public long-term care facilities, raised the money to bring the device to Vancouver Island. It’s now being used at The Summit and Aberdeen Hospital.

“They’re about $10,000 a robotic arm. So not cheap but they make a big difference,” says Eldercare Foundation executive director Tom Arnold.

“We’ve purchased five so far, but we already have requests for seven more. We think there is going to be a lot of need for these, so we’re hoping that more Vancouver Islanders will join us to help us bring these to more local care homes,” he says.

Prior to the gadget’s arrival, Harry had to rely on staff to feed her meals, which she didn’t like, due to a loss of grip function in her hands. The robotic arm has become a source of relief and restored independence.

“It’s very hard when you get older and start losing bits here and there—and I was always a very independent person. So there’s a certain dignity to not having to be fed,” she says.

She finds the technology easy to use, although agrees with staff it’s not for everyone.

“You need to have an amount of cognition and attention that allows you to focus on everything that’s happening in a dining room during a meal time, but also be able to focus on what’s happening in front of you,” says Rosen.

The occupational therapist says it’s important to also understand that the robotic arm doesn’t replace the need for care aides or nurses to be part of the mealtime experience. Harry and any other long-term care resident using the device are still monitored—giving them power to ask for help if or when they need it.

“I don’t think anybody, if they were in this situation that really wanted the independence, could know how much pleasure it gives me to be able to be independent in another section of my life,” says Harry.