Therapeutic robocat for nursing home residents with dementia: Preliminary inquiry
Traditional pet therapy enhances individual wellbeing . However , there are situations where a substitute artificial companion ( i.e. , robotic pet ) may serve as a better alternative because of insufficient available re sources to care for a real pet , allergic responses to pets , or other difficulties . This pilot study , which compared the benefits of a robotic cat and a plush toy cat as interventions for elderly persons with dementia , was conducted at a special care unit of a large , not-for-profit nursing home . Various aspects of a person 's engagement and affect were assessed through direct observations . Though not identical , similar trends were seen for the two cats . Interacting with the cats was linked with decreased agitation and increased pleasure and interest . The study is intended to pave the way for future research on robotherapy with nursing home residents
The ongoing development of robotics on the one h and and , on the other h and , the foreseen relative growth in number of elderly individuals suffering from dementia , raises the question of which contribution robotics could have to rationalize and maintain , or even improve the quality of care .
The objective of this review was to assess the published effects and effectiveness of robot interventions aim ing at social assistance in elderly care .