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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 19, No. 2, 111-116 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/153331750401900209

Therapeutic robocat for nursing home residents with dementia: Preliminary inquiry

Alexander Libin, PhD

Research Institute on Aging, Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Rockville; Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC; Complex Interactive Systems Research, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland; libina{at}georgetown.edu

Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, PhD

Research Institute on Aging at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Rockville, Maryland; Georgetown University Department of Psychology, Washington DC

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 resources 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.

Key Words: intervention • dementia • technology • agitation


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