PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA AND SOCIAL ROBOTS: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER?

Abstract Background Psychosocial health issues such as depression and social isolation are an important cause of morbidity and premature mortality for older adults and people with dementia. Social robots are promising technological innovations to deliver effective psychosocial interventions to promote psychosocial wellbeing. Studies have reported positive findings regarding this technology on the psychosocial health of older adults and people with dementia. However, despite positive findings of the effects of social robots for older adults and people with dementia, little is known about factors affecting their implementation in practice. Methods This study follows Arksey and O’Malley’s approach and methodological enhancement by Levac et al. Relevant articles will be identified by searching electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Compendex and PubMed. A two-phase screening process will be undertaken by two independent reviewers to determine articles’ inclusion. Findings will be summarised and reported thematically based on domains in the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR) and presented narratively. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will guide the reporting of findings. Discussion Reporting the protocol in advance of conducting the review will ensure that rigorous and transparent methodological approach is undertaken. The outcomes of the review include identifying variants in terminologies used to describe implementation, identifying the scope of the literature regarding the barriers and facilitators affecting the implementation of social robots and identifying research gaps to guide further empirical research in this field. This evidence synthesis constitutes part of a bigger project aimed to develop implementation guidelines for social robotics for older adults with dementia. Since the methodological process consists of reviewing and collecting data from publicly available data, this study does not require approval from a research ethics board. Scoping review registration Our protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/2x3y9/) as an open access article, under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC-4.0) license, which allows others to distribute, remix, adapt and build on this work on a non-commercial basis, and license their derivative work using different terms, on the basis that the original basis is properly cited and the use is non-commercial (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Impacts of Low-cost Robotic Pets for Older Adults and People With Dementia: Scoping Review

JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies ◽

10.2196/25340 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e25340

Author(s):

Wei Qi Koh ◽

Faith Xin Hui Ang ◽

Dympna Casey

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Infection Control ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Low Cost ◽

Research Question ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Robots ◽

Psychosocial Needs ◽

Live Animal ◽

People With Dementia

Background Older adults and people with dementia are particularly vulnerable to social isolation. Social robots, including robotic pets, are promising technological interventions that can benefit the psychosocial health of older adults and people with dementia. However, issues such as high costs can lead to a lack of equal access and concerns about infection control. Although there are previous reviews on the use of robotic pets for older adults and people with dementia, none have included or had a focus on low-cost and familiarly and realistically designed pet robots. Objective The aim of this review is to synthesize evidence on the delivery and impact of low-cost, familiarly and realistically designed interactive robotic pets for older adults and people with dementia. Methods The Arksey and O’Malley framework was used to guide this review. First, the research question was identified. Second, searches were conducted on five electronic databases and Google Scholar. Studies were selected using a two-phase screening process, where two reviewers independently screened and extracted data using a standardized data extraction form. Finally, the results were discussed, categorized, and presented narratively. Results A total of 9 studies were included in the review. Positive impacts related to several psychosocial domains, including mood and affect, communication and social interaction, companionship, and other well-being outcomes. Issues and concerns associated with its use included misperceptions of the robotic pets as a live animal, ethical issues of attachment, negative reactions by users, and other pragmatic concerns such as hygiene and cost. Conclusions Overall, the findings resonate with previous studies that investigated the effectiveness of other social robots, demonstrating the promise of these low-cost robotic pets in addressing the psychosocial needs of older adults and people with dementia. The affordability of these robotic pets appeared to influence the practicalities of real-world use, such as intervention delivery and infection control, which are especially relevant in light of COVID-19. Moving forward, studies should also consider comparing the effects of these low-cost robots with other robotic pets.

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Impacts of low-cost robotic pets for older adults and people with dementia: A scoping review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25340 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wei Qi Koh ◽

Faith Xin Hui Ang ◽

Dympna Casey

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Infection Control ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Low Cost ◽

Research Question ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Robots ◽

Psychosocial Needs ◽

Live Animal ◽

People With Dementia

BACKGROUND Older adults and people with dementia are particularly vulnerable to social isolation. Social robots, including robotic pets, are promising technological interventions that can benefit the psychosocial health of older adults and people with dementia. However, issues such as high costs can lead to a lack of equal access and concerns about infection control. Although there are previous reviews on the use of robotic pets for older adults and people with dementia, none have included or had a focus on low-cost, familiarly and realistically designed pet robots. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review was to synthesise evidence on the delivery and impact of low-cost, familiarly and realistically designed interactive robotic pets for older adults and people with dementia. METHODS The Arksey and O’Malley framework was used to guide this review. First, the research question was identified. Next, searches were conducted on five electronic databases and Google Scholar. Studies were selected using a two-phase screening process, where two reviewers independently screened and extracted data using a standardized data extraction form. Finally, the results were discussed, categorised and presented narratively. RESULTS A total of nine studies were included in the review. Positive impacts related to several psychosocial domains, including mood and affect, communication and social interaction, companionship, and other well-being outcomes. Issues and concerns associated with its use included misperceptions of the robotic pets as a live animal, ethical issues of attachment, negative reactions by users, and other pragmatic concerns such as hygiene and cost. CONCLUSIONS Overall, findings resonate with previous studies that investigated the effectiveness of other social robots, demonstrating the promise of these low-cost robotic pets in addressing the psychosocial needs of older adults and people with dementia. The affordability of these robotic pets appeared to influence the practicalities of real-world use, such as intervention delivery and infection control, which are especially relevant in light of COVID-19. Moving forward, studies should also consider comparing the effects of these low-cost robots with other robotic pets. CLINICALTRIAL

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095Can Social Robots Help to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in People with Dementia? A Delphi Survey

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afx144.114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (Suppl_3) ◽

pp. iii13-iii59 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Eva Barrett ◽

Kathleen Murphy ◽

Arlene Mannion ◽

Pauline Meskell ◽

Megan Burke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Social Robots ◽

Delphi Survey ◽

People With Dementia

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Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of social robots for older adults and people with dementia: a scoping review

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02277-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Wei Qi Koh ◽

Simone Anna Felding ◽

Kübra Beliz Budak ◽

Elaine Toomey ◽

Dympna Casey

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Real World ◽

Contextual Factors ◽

Internal Validity ◽

Social Robots ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Future Research ◽

Psychosocial Needs ◽

Implementation Framework ◽

People With Dementia

Abstract Background Psychosocial issues, such as social isolation and loneliness among older adults and people with dementia, continue to pose challenges with a rapidly aging population worldwide. Social robots are a rapidly emerging field of technology, developed to help address the psychosocial needs of this population. Although studies have reported positive findings regarding their psychosocial benefits, their implementation in real-world practice remains a challenge. Nevertheless, little is known about the factors affecting their implementation. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic overview of the barriers and facilitators affecting the implementation of social robots for older adults and people with dementia. Method The Arksey and O’Malley approach with methodological enhancement by Levac et al. was used to guide the conduct of this review. Seven electronic databases were searched. In addition, hand searching and backward citation tracing was conducted. Three independent reviewers were involved in the screening and data charting process. Findings were synthesised and categorised into the five domains outlined in the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR). Results A total of 53 studies were included in the final review. Most of the included studies were based in participants’ homes and in care facilities. Barriers and facilitators were mapped onto 18 constructs in the five domains of the CFIR. The most frequently cited barriers were mapped to the constructs within the domain of “Intervention characteristics”, where issues such as the complexity of using the technology and technical obstacles impeded implementation. Most facilitators were mapped onto the domain “Patient needs and resources”. Overall, existing research are disproportionately focused on the internal validity (i.e. characteristics) of social robots, and there is significantly less research investigating their external validity, such as organisational or wider contextual factors that can affect their implementation in real-world practice. Conclusion This review has identified and synthesised the breadth of evidence on the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of social robots for older adults and people with dementia. Future research should pay more attention to investigating the contextual factors, using an implementation framework, to identify barriers and facilitators to guide the implementation of social robots.

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506 - Methodologies used to study the feasibility, usability and effectiveness of social robots in clinical and social care settings for elderly adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610221002015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. 59-59

Author(s):

Aysan Mahmoudi ◽

Mauricio Molinari ◽

Henriette Van Der Roest ◽

Manuel Franco

Keyword(s):

Social Robots ◽

Elderly Adults ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Research Fields ◽

Private Households ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Long Term Impact ◽

Physiological Tests

Background:In a search for innovative dementia care strategies, a new research fields have been dedicated to design social robots for older adults with cognitive impairments and dementia in order to promote their quality of life through communication and social interactions. Although the results are promising, the quality of studies on effectiveness of social robots in elderly adults is still low due to several methodological limitations (1). Then, we aim to review the methodologies used so far for conducting studies with social robots in clinical and social settings with people with dementia and elderly adults.Method:Searches in Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Cinahl yielded 33 studies included in the final review after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Reviews were conducted by two authors independently.Result:Across 33 papers, 23 different social robots were examined on elderly adults and PwD, investigating feasibility, usability and effectiveness. A variety of study designs such as RCTs, mixed methods, cross-sectional and cohort were employed. Individual and group-based interventions took place in private households, LTCFs and labs within a single session or multiple sessions. Data were collected through observation, questionnaires, interview and physiological tests. Most revealed improvements were found in mood, engagement and participation. However, improvements in QoL, depression and cognition were not significant.Conclusion:Despite the promising results, due to the insufficient methodology, failures and ambitious findings remain within the many aspects of the enquiry. Appropriate RCT designs with large sample sizes and individual intervention sessions might be established for effectiveness studies. For feasibility/usability studies, a cohort design with long-term intervention would serve best. We also recommend a mixed method of data collection for any of three effectiveness, feasibility and usability study aims. Multiple interaction sessions running for more than one month might help researches to draw significant results and reveal the long-term impact of the robots.

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IT’S MY BUDDY: EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA ABOUT THE SOCIAL ROBOT PARO IN A HOSPITAL SETTING

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1206 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S331-S331

Author(s):

Lillian Hung ◽

Habib Chaudhury

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Contextual Information ◽

New Technology ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Social Robots ◽

Social Robot ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

People With Dementia ◽

The Social

Abstract New technology such as social robots opens up new opportunities in hospital settings. PARO, a robotic pet seal, was designed to provide emotional and social support for older people with dementia. This project aims to explore the perceptions of persons with dementia about PARO’s role in a hospital setting. Video-ethnographic methods were applied. We had conversational interviews with and video observations of 10 older people with dementia in the geriatric unit of a large Canadian hospital. Also, semi-structured interviews and two focus groups were conducted with 10 staff members in the local unit to gain contextual information. Thematic analysis yielded three substantive themes: (a) “it’s like a buddy”—the robot helps people with dementia uphold a sense of self in the world; (b) “it’s a conversation piece”—the baby seal facilitates social connection; and (c) “it’s all about love”—PARO transforms and humanizes the clinical setting. Our findings help provide a better understanding of the direct perspectives of patients with dementia on the use of social robots. Instead of substituting human contact, the social robot complements emotional care and supports our fundamental human need for love.

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Robots and people with dementia: Unintended consequences and moral hazard

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/0969733017742960 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 962-972 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fiachra O’Brolcháin

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Moral Hazard ◽

Elder Care ◽

Social Robots ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

Human Existence ◽

Ethical Challenges ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Potential Benefits

The use of social robots in elder care is entering the mainstream as robots become more sophisticated and populations age. While there are many potential benefits to the use of social robots in care for the older people, there are ethical challenges as well. This article focuses on the societal consequences of the adoption of social robots in care for people with dementia. Making extensive use of Alasdair MacIntyre’s Dependent Rational Animals to discuss issues of unintended consequences and moral hazard, we contend that in choosing to avoid the vulnerability and dependency of human existence, a society blinds itself from the animal reality of humankind. The consequence of this is that a flourishing society, in which each individual is helped to develop the virtues essential to her flourishing, becomes harder to achieve.

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