Is an entertainment robot useful in the care of elderly people with severe dementia?

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Vol. 59; no. 1; p. 83
• Main Authors: Tamura, Toshiyo, Yonemitsu, Satomi, Itoh, Akiko, Oikawa, Daisuke, Kawakami, Akiko, Higashi, Yuji, Fujimooto, Toshiro, Nakajima, Kazuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.2004
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Dementia - rehabilitation; Female; Humans; Male; Play Therapy; Robotics; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 1079-5006; 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/59.1.M83

An entertainment robot was used as occupational therapy instead of animal-assisted therapy to avoid any danger or injury to the patient and maintain cleanliness. This study compared the effectiveness of a robot animal, AIBO, with a toy. AIBO is made of metal and responds to spoken commands. We demonstrated AIBO to severely demented elderly people living in a geriatric home and observed their reactions. The most frequent reactions to AIBO consisted of looking at, communicating with, and caring for AIBO. The patients recognized that AIBO was a robot. However, once we dressed AIBO, the patients perceived AIBO as either a dog or a baby. Nevertheless, the presentation of AIBO resulted in positive outcomes for the severe dementia patients, including increased communication between the patients and AIBO. AIBO was clearly an effective rehabilitation tool in the treatment of severely demented patients.