Objectives The objective of our research is to study the social organization within institutions welcoming dependent older adults and the potential impact of introducing a social robot. Materials and methods In a co-design approach with professionals, the observation of behaviors, regulated by social rules and norms, will allow, in a way coherent with our empirical approach, to question the conditions necessary for the design of an acceptable human–robot interaction. The ethnographic observations, which were cancelled due to the Covid crisis, led us to use the “cultural probes” method combined with interviews, to understand the daily work of health professionals better. Results The analysis of the collected data allows us to identify 5 recurrent themes – Time and personnel, the health situation,1 Communication/Attention, Guiding, Activities – for which we have listed, in this article, the issues encountered, the questions raised and ideas of potential solutions with the use of a social robot. Conclusion The Cultural Probes approach may seem time-consuming and requires a significant investment, but it has allowed us to maintain regular contact during the pandemic. In addition, the qualitative data collected proved to be a good discussion tool.