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Step 5: Involve Stakeholders

Address concerns early on and turn your team, residents, and relatives into active participants in the change process from day one.

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„Every change is driven by people.“

Insight from the Care-AI project

Shape change together

Introducing AI is not purely an IT project. It changes the day-to-day work of your professionals, the experience of residents and the expectations of family members.

Every care facility has staff with different levels of experience, skills and attitudes towards digital technologies. Residents and family members also differ in their expectations and needs.

By involving everyone affected from day 1, you reduce fears, prevent internal resistance and ensure that the new technology is actually used in everyday practice.

Your benefit: Why genuine participation matters

Early participation turns those affected into co-creators. This step helps you to:

  • Identify barriers to acceptance before expensive software is purchased.
  • Plan training needs precisely for different levels of prior knowledge.
  • Build trust among residents and family members through transparent communication.

7 reflection questions for your management team

  • Who in our facility is directly or indirectly affected by the new AI?

  • What concerns (e.g. surveillance, job loss, feeling overwhelmed by technology) could arise?

  • How do we inform residents and family members in a clear and transparent way?

  • Which specific AI competencies does our team need?

  • How do we involve both tech-savvy and sceptical staff?

  • Which contact persons (e.g. digitalisation leads) are available in everyday practice?

  • How do we measure whether the AI is perceived as a genuine relief?

Pflegekraft im blauen Kimono stützt eine ältere Frau von hinten beim gemeinsamen Spaziergang im Freien

Germany vs. Denmark: Different approaches to introducing technology

Differences between Germany and Denmark can be seen when introducing AI-supported technologies in long-term care:

Deutschland Dänemark

In Germany, care facilities often identify their needs themselves – for example, when staff or managers recognise specific challenges in day-to-day work where AI could provide support.

As a result, implementation often takes place gradually and emerges from practice (“bottom-up”).

In Denmark, municipalities and public-sector actors play a stronger, coordinating role in the digital transformation of care.

Needs are more often considered strategically at a higher level, prioritised and then implemented in care facilities (“top-down”).

Success factor

Regardless of who initiates the process, implementation in practice will fail without involving the care team at an early stage.

Why off-the-shelf standard software often fails

One of the biggest hurdles in AI projects is that many digital solutions are not sufficiently adapted to the realities of day-to-day care. If transparency is lacking and future users are not allowed to help shape the solution, resistance can quickly arise.

The result: Software is purchased but simply ignored in day-to-day practice.

Successful practical example: Voice-controlled dashboard

As part of a German research project, a voice-controlled dashboard was developed directly together with care staff and managers.

  • The success: The software was tailored precisely to existing workflows, was intuitive to use and supported the team without rigidly automating processes.
  • The key insight: AI systems can only be implemented successfully if they are adapted to the specific structures, communication channels and organisational characteristics on site.
Pflegekraft schiebt einen älteren Mann im Rollstuhl durch einen gemütlichen Aufenthaltsraum mit Sitzgruppe im Hintergrund

A participatory test team in 4 steps

Do not simply introduce new technologies on a set date. Use this proven practical method:

Define a limited test area

Together with the software provider and nursing management, select 1–2 care units or rooms for a realistic test phase.

Put together a mixed team

Deliberately include both groups in the test team: tech-savvy professionals and staff who are sceptical about change. Sceptics identify weaknesses early and, if the test is successful, become convincing champions.

Run a practical test (approx. 6 months)

Let the team test the AI under real-world conditions. The added value must be noticeable under the pressures of everyday work – not only in theory.

Share experiences with the team

The test participants report their experiences directly to the other staff. This builds trust naturally and encourages other teams to want to use the solution as well.

Tool: Personas as a compass for different perspectives

In the Care-AI project, typical profiles (personas) of all stakeholders were developed based on field research. They show how different roles in a care facility view the introduction of AI, which challenges they experience and how you can respond to them specifically during the change process.

Use them to consider the different perspectives in advance.

Persona group 1: The nursing and care team

Anke (Nursing Professional in Germany)

“I want time for people, not for additional technology.” 

Anke has worked as a nursing professional for many years. She is generally open to digital solutions but experiences her day-to-day work as being heavily shaped by documentation, communication with family members and organisational tasks.

Slow systems and duplicate documentation cause her frustration. She accepts new technologies when they provide immediate relief and can be integrated easily into existing workflows.

Lächelnde Pflegekraft in türkisfarbener Kleidung hält ein Klemmbrett in einer Praxis mit Behandlungsliege

Mette (Registered Nurse in Denmark)

“AI should support me in clinical decision-making.”

Mette is also open to digital technologies. Unlike Anke, however, she primarily associates AI with clinical decision support, monitoring or medication safety.

For her, the added value lies less in organisational relief than in improved clinical care. At the same time, there is a risk that psychosocial aspects of care may fade into the background.

Pflegekraft misst einem älteren Mann lächelnd den Blutdruck in einem Wohnbereich

Reflection prompt

While German care professionals often assess the benefit in terms of relief in day-to-day work, clinical benefits are emphasised more strongly in Denmark. Both perspectives should be considered during implementation.

Louise (Social & Healthcare Assistant in Denmark)

“Why should we change something that has worked for years?” 

Louise has worked in the same care facility for almost forty years. She knows her residents very well and has a wealth of experience.

At the same time, she initially approaches new technologies with scepticism. Only when she experiences a concrete benefit herself does she develop trust in new solutions.

Porträt einer älteren Frau mit Kaffeebecher, die nachdenklich zur Seite blickt

Naomi (Care Assistant in Germany)

“I want support, but it needs to be understandable and practical.” 

Naomi works as a care assistant and brings a great deal of empathy to her work. She already uses digital applications in her private life and is open to new technologies.

At the same time, she lacks knowledge about AI. Previous digitalisation projects have created additional work for her rather than providing relief.

Applications that support her with language barriers, documentation or biography work would be particularly helpful.

Porträt einer lächelnden Frau mit lockigem Haar in grüner Kleidung

What does this mean for your approach in practice?

  • Erfüllt:

    Involve your staff at an early stage.

  • Erfüllt:

    Show the practical benefits: use demonstrations or workshops to show how AI saves staff time.

  • Erfüllt:

    Let your staff try the system themselves.

  • Erfüllt:

    Offer regular information sessions, training and feedback loops

  • Erfüllt:

    Involve all professional groups early and continuously – from needs analysis and selection through piloting to evaluation.

  • Erfüllt:

    Identify which (experienced) colleagues could act as multiplicators.

  • Erfüllt:

    Explain AI clearly and without technical jargon.

  • Erfüllt:

    Take different levels of prior digital experience into account.

  • Erfüllt:

    Ensure that contact persons and support are available. A dedicated team (e.g. digitalisation leads) should answer questions, record problems and coordinate adjustments.

Persona group 2: Residents in need of care

Kurt (Resident in Denmark)

“I want to be understood.” 

Kurt is mentally alert, but due to a medical condition has great difficulty expressing himself verbally.

For him, AI could not only relieve staff but also enable greater participation and self-determination – for example through assistive communication technologies.

Porträt eines älteren Mannes mit Brille und Schnurrbart im grünen Poloshirt

Gitte (Resident in Denmark)

“Safety means something different to every person.” 

Residents experience changes very differently.

Gitte reacts very sensitively to change because of her dementia and mental illness. New voices, unfamiliar routines or unknown technologies can trigger anxiety for her.

Porträt einer lächelnden älteren Frau mit grauem Haar in geselliger Runde im Freien

What does this mean for your approach in practice?

  • Erfüllt:

    Introduce technology extremely carefully for vulnerable residents.

  • Erfüllt:

    Human closeness and familiar routines always take precedence over efficiency.

Reflection prompt

AI can not only improve work processes but also enhance residents’ quality of life. This perspective should already be considered when selecting suitable applications.

Persona group 3: Family members

Hildegard (Wife of Hermann, Germany)

“I want to understand what is happening to my husband.” 

For Hildegard, the technology itself is not the focus; her concern is for her husband.

She has questions about data protection, humanity and possible surveillance. If these concerns are taken seriously and answered in an understandable way, her willingness to accept new technologies increases.

Porträt einer lächelnden älteren Frau mit weißem Haar und gemusterter Jacke

What does this mean for your approach in practice?

  • Erfüllt:

    Inform family members at an early stage.

  • Erfüllt:

    Create opportunities for questions and dialogue.

  • Erfüllt:

    Answer questions about data protection and benefits transparently and clearly.

Practical tips

Do not use these personas as rigid categories, but as a reflection aid. For each planned AI application, ask yourself:

“How would Anke experience this solution? What questions would Hildegard have? Would Gitte feel safe because of it? And what added value would it offer Kurt?”

These changes of perspective help ensure that implementation decisions are not made solely from a technical point of view but are consistently designed around people.

Your result after this step

You have learned that successful implementation means consciously taking the diversity of all stakeholders into account and shaping change together. You have developed a clear strategy for your change management:

  • Erfüllt:

    All affected stakeholder groups have been identified.

  • Erfüllt:

    A test team of practice experts and sceptics is ready.

  • Erfüllt:

    A transparent communication and training plan for staff, residents and family members has been set up.

What happens next

Your team is prepared and the concepts are in place. The next step is to put them into action: Find out in Step 6: Pilot Phase & Evaluation how to conduct the practical test in a structured way, measure success and learn from mistakes.

Sources

  • Most of the contents used in the AI Roadmap are based on the project context developed within the “Care-AI” project and the materials collected there.
  • Dassel, K., Colloseus, C., Sell, A., Hanel, J., Günther, C., Awesome Technologies GmbH, Aschenbrenner, D., Klein, J., Guagnin, D., Institut für Innovation und Technik (iit) in der VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, Caritas Dortmund & nexus – Institut für Kooperationsmanagement und interdisziplinäre Forschung. (2025). KI in der Pflege – Mensch im Mittelpunkt: Partizipative Entwicklung eines digitalen Assistenzsystems zur Entlastung in der stationären Altenpflege [Research]. Not specified. https://www.iit-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/KIC_Paper_Pflege.pdf