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Artificial intelligence could give home-care workers more time to care for people while helping older adults live safely and independently — but only if the technology is introduced with firm protections for privacy, autonomy, and human judgment.

That is the central conclusion of A New Era of Care, a three-report research series released by the National Council on Aging. The federally supported project examines how AI is entering home- and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities.

The stakes are high. Approximately 63 million unpaid family caregivers and more than 3.2 million paid home-care workers support people in their homes, according to the research. Demand is rising as the population ages, but low wages and high employee turnover continue to threaten the availability and continuity of care.

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A tool for caregivers

AI may offer some relief — not by replacing caregivers, but by extending their capacity.

Home-care providers are already using AI-assisted systems for scheduling, hiring, training, claims processing, and regulatory compliance. 

Other applications directly affect care: sensors can detect movement or changes in daily routines, fall-detection tools can alert family members or professionals, and predictive systems can flag patterns that may indicate a growing health or safety risk.

AI can also help caregivers record visits, share information across care teams, and complete reports. Reducing that administrative burden could leave workers more time for the interpersonal work that technology cannot reproduce, including observing subtle changes, building trust, and responding with empathy.

“When implemented well, AI can give home care workers more time to focus on people rather than paperwork,” Nicole Howell, director of direct care workforce development at the National Council on Aging, said in a statement.

The federal research describes AI as a potential “workforce multiplier.” Its value, in that view, lies in supporting workers and promoting independence — not in removing people from the care relationship. The reports say early research suggests AI is more likely to augment home-care jobs than eliminate them.

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The risks

That promise comes with substantial risks.

Home-care technologies can collect exceptionally sensitive information, including health details, movements inside a residence, and data about daily behavior. Without meaningful consent and strong security controls, monitoring intended to protect an older adult could become intrusive surveillance or expose both clients and workers to misuse of their information.

Accuracy presents another challenge. A fall-detection system that misses an emergency could delay assistance, while repeated false alarms could waste caregivers’ time and cause users to stop trusting the system. 

Generative AI may also produce confident but incorrect summaries or recommendations, making human review essential whenever its output could influence care.

Bias is a further concern. Systems trained on incomplete or unrepresentative data may work less reliably for people with disabilities, members of certain racial or ethnic groups, or residents of rural communities. Poorly designed tools may also be difficult for older adults or workers with limited digital access to use, deepening disparities instead of reducing them.

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Automation’s downside

The reports warn that automation could erode personal autonomy as well. A system might identify a course of action as efficient or safe without reflecting an individual’s preferences, culture, or tolerance for risk. Decisions about how a person lives cannot be reduced to a prediction score.

The researchers recommend including older adults, people with disabilities, and direct-care workers in the design and selection of AI tools. They also call for clear governance, transparency, independent evaluation, and sustained human oversight. Agencies will need to establish who is responsible when a system makes an error and ensure that new technology fits existing workflows rather than adding another layer of stress.

Investment in AI should not become a substitute for improving wages, training, and working conditions, the research cautions. Technology may reduce paperwork, but it cannot by itself solve the workforce shortage or provide the relationships at the heart of home care.