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The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 59:M83-M85 (2004)
© 2004 The Gerontological Society of America

Is an Entertainment Robot Useful in the Care of Elderly People With Severe Dementia?

Toshiyo Tamura1, Satomi Yonemitsu2, Akiko Itoh3, Daisuke Oikawa2, Akiko Kawakami2, Yuji Higashi2, Toshiro Fujimooto2 and Kazuki Nakajima1

1 Department of Gerontechnology, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Aichi, Japan.
2 Fujimoto Hayasuzu Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan.
3 Green Home for the Geriatric Facility, Miyazaki, Japan.

Objective. 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.

Method. 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.

Results. 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.

Conclusion. AIBO was clearly an effective rehabilitation tool in the treatment of severely demented patients.






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Copyright © 2004 by The Gerontological Society of America.