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People with dementia often experience social isolation, sometimes caused by having a difficulty to communicate which can interfere with relationships with their carers’.

These relationships can be strained further by agitation, aggression, and anxiety – common symptoms of dementia. Furthermore, as a result of these symptoms, those with dementia can become less resistant to infections and depression, and can exhibit rapid cognitive decline. Presence of a pet – or robopet, have been shown to have an impact on mood, communication, social interaction and importantly companionship, as well as other well-being outcomes (Koh et al., 2021).

Robopets range drastically in price but overall are relatively low cost and can be sourced easily online. Prices start from $15 for non-interactive but life-like robopets (https://perfectpetzzz.com) to $139.99 for a fully interactive pet cat or dog (https://joyforall.com), which feature authentic soft coats, a realistic heartbeat and ‘barkback’ technology which responds to voices around it. Joy for All pets, in particular, are designed for older adults, they are interactive and are made to prioritise ease of care and convenience.

In a review of 9 studies into the use of robopets, Koh et al. (2021) reported improvements in several cognitive domains, including improved mood and affect, communication and social interaction and companionship. Owning a robopet could have positive effects on both people with dementia and those around them. For example, after being given a robopet, people with dementia agitation scores were reduced, they had a calming effect when given to those with dementia suffering from anxiety and furthermore, and aggression levels were seen to almost cease completely within 24 hours. Agitation, aggression, and anxiety can be some of the biggest difficulties in caring for someone with dementia, and robopets may hold the key to significantly improving life for not only those with dementia but also their carers.

Furthermore, robopets were observed to have facilitatory effects upon communication and social interaction among people with dementia. For example, in people with dementia who were community-dwelling, it was found that discussion was enabled via sharing the pet with others and providing a topic of conversation. Moreover, between people with dementia and their pets, engagement was encouraged by the pet’s interactivity including movements and sounds to entertain. However, some did not realise the need to touch the pet for a response and reported feeling concerned that it was not interacting with them.

Importantly, the robopets were shown to give a sense of companionship, something that can be hard to achieve, especially if living in a care facility where carers frequently change, and the social environment may be inconsistent. In one case it was reported that a person with dementia formed a “strong bond and attachment” to their pet, and in another, a significant decrease in loneliness was found within a month.

Overall, it can be seen that the presence of a consistent companion - in this case robopets, caused vast psychosocial improvements to the quality of life of those with dementia, including reduction in social isolation, low mood and being given a sense of companionship. As such, being given a robopet could be an affordable technique to improve the overall experiences of both people with dementia and their carers.

References:

Koh, W. Q., Ang, F. X. H., & Casey, D. (2021). Impacts of Low-cost Robotic Pets for Older Adults and People With Dementia: Scoping Review. JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies, 8(1), e25340.