Other Titles
Feasibility of Robotic Pets in Dementia Care [Title Slide]
Other Titles
PechaKucha Presentation
Abstract
Objective: To assess the feasibility of introducing a robotic pet for people with dementia attending a day care center.
Design: A single-group, mixed-methods pilot study.
Setting: One dementia day care center in Incheon, South Korea.
Participants: Twelve older adults (10 males and 2 females; mean age = 86.4 years, SD = 7.4) with mild dementia were recruited.
Intervention: The intervention consisted of a 15-min unstructured session with a Joy for All robotic pet (dog or cat) twice a week for 6 weeks at the day care center.
Measurements: The primary outcome was the feasibility of using the robotic pet as an interactive activity for older adults with dementia, which was measured by participants’ engagement with the robotic pet. Observations of the participants’ interactions with the robotic pet were video-recorded for the assessment of the participants’ engagement. Secondary outcomes included levels of cognition, activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms, measured at baseline and at 6 weeks. Participants and staff perceptions of the robotic pet sessions were collected using semi-structured interviews after the 6-week intervention.
Results: Analysis of observational data showed a high level of engagement with the robotic pet (mean engagement duration = 12.48 minutes). There were no significant differences in levels of cognition, activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The intervention was deemed acceptable and feasible by the participants as well as care staff for use with people with dementia in a day care setting. There were no adverse events.
Conclusion: The use of a robotic companion pet was safe and feasible for persons with dementia in a day care center. The intervention’s effects and the positive evaluation by the participants and staff suggest that the robotic pet program may be added to the treatment repertoire for persons with mild dementia in a day care setting. Larger randomized controlled trials with longer time frames are warranted to better understand the generalizability of the intervention effects.
Notes
References:
Koh, W. Q., Whelan, S., Heins, P., Casey, D., Toomey, E., & Dröes, R. M. (2022). The usability and impact of a low-cost pet robot for older adults and people with dementia: qualitative content analysis of user experiences and perceptions on consumer websites. JMIR aging, 5(1), e29224.
LaRose, B. S., Wiese, L. K., & de los Ángeles Ortega Hernández, M. (2022). Improving behavioral and psychological symptoms and cognitive status of participants with dementia through the use of therapeutic interactive pets. Issues in mental health nursing, 43(4), 330-343.
Nelson, R., & Westenskow, R. (2022). Evaluation of a Robotic Pet Intervention Protocol for Older Adults with Dementia. Canadian Journal of Recreation Therapy, 1(1), 88-104.
Wu, D., Pu, L., Jo, J., Hexel, R., & Moyle, W. (2024). Deploying Robot-Led Activities for People with Dementia at Aged Care Facilities: A Feasibility Study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 25(7), 105028.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Implementation Science, Long-term Care, Global Leadership, Robotic Pets, Dementia, South Korea
Recommended Citation
Choi, Scott Seung W. and Oh, Hyerin, "The Feasibility of Introducing a Robotic Pet For Older Adults With Dementia in a Daycare Program" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 221.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/221
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
The Feasibility of Introducing a Robotic Pet For Older Adults With Dementia in a Daycare Program
Seattle, Washington, USA
Objective: To assess the feasibility of introducing a robotic pet for people with dementia attending a day care center.
Design: A single-group, mixed-methods pilot study.
Setting: One dementia day care center in Incheon, South Korea.
Participants: Twelve older adults (10 males and 2 females; mean age = 86.4 years, SD = 7.4) with mild dementia were recruited.
Intervention: The intervention consisted of a 15-min unstructured session with a Joy for All robotic pet (dog or cat) twice a week for 6 weeks at the day care center.
Measurements: The primary outcome was the feasibility of using the robotic pet as an interactive activity for older adults with dementia, which was measured by participants’ engagement with the robotic pet. Observations of the participants’ interactions with the robotic pet were video-recorded for the assessment of the participants’ engagement. Secondary outcomes included levels of cognition, activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms, measured at baseline and at 6 weeks. Participants and staff perceptions of the robotic pet sessions were collected using semi-structured interviews after the 6-week intervention.
Results: Analysis of observational data showed a high level of engagement with the robotic pet (mean engagement duration = 12.48 minutes). There were no significant differences in levels of cognition, activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The intervention was deemed acceptable and feasible by the participants as well as care staff for use with people with dementia in a day care setting. There were no adverse events.
Conclusion: The use of a robotic companion pet was safe and feasible for persons with dementia in a day care center. The intervention’s effects and the positive evaluation by the participants and staff suggest that the robotic pet program may be added to the treatment repertoire for persons with mild dementia in a day care setting. Larger randomized controlled trials with longer time frames are warranted to better understand the generalizability of the intervention effects.
Description
This feasibility study tested the use of a robotic companion pet to engage people with dementia in a day care center. Twelve older adults individually participated in a 15 minute unfacilitated session twice a week over 6 weeks. Observational data showed that the intervention was safe, feasible, and effective in engaging participants. Evaluation of the program by the participants and staff was overwhelmingly positive and no adverse events occurred during the intervention.