Humanoid socially assistive robots in dementia care: a qualitative study about expectations of caregivers and dementia trainers.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the expectations of informal caregivers, nurses, and dementia trainers regarding the support of (physical and psychosocial) human needs by humanoid social assistive robots (SARs) in dementia care. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with 11 homogeneous focus groups of informal caregivers, nurses and dementia trainers providing dementia care at home, in adult daycare centers, or in nursing homes. A qualitative content analysis was performed using a concept- and data-driven coding frame. RESULTS: Focus group discussions with 52 individuals were held. Participants reported mostly positive expectations and stated that SARs could offer potential support in all components of human needs, especially in avoiding danger (e.g. recognise danger, organise help), communication/contact with others (e.g. enable telephone calls, provide company), daily activities (e.g. remind of appointments, household obligations), recreational activities (e.g. provide music), eating/drinking (e.g. help cook), and mobility/body posture (e.g. give reminders/instructions for physical exercise). Participants also mentioned some negative expectations in all human needs, predominantly in communication/contact with others (e.g. loss of interpersonal interaction) and avoiding danger (e.g. scepticism regarding emergencies). CONCLUSION: Participants stated that SARs had great potential to provide assistance in dementia care, especially by reminding, motivating/encouraging and instructing people with dementia. Informal caregivers and nurses also considered them as useful supportive devices for themselves. However, participants also mentioned negative expectations, especially in communication/contact with others and avoiding danger. These findings demonstrate the support caregivers and dementia trainers expect from humanoid SARs and may contribute to their optimisation for dementia care.

Effects of a Humanoid Socially Assistive Robot Versus Tablet Training on Psychosocial and Physical Outcomes of Persons With Dementia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: New technologies, like socially assistive robots (SARs), may have the potential to support caregivers at home. Still, the evidence for people with dementia in home care is unclear because a lot of studies are performed in a laboratory or institutional setting, and mainly use robots in prototype stages. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the effects of the refined, commercially-available, humanoid SAR Pepper combined with a tablet PC-based dementia training program (Coach Pepper) versus an exclusively tablet PC-based dementia training program on psychosocial and physical outcomes of people with dementia living at home, including caregivers and dementia trainers. We hypothesize that Coach Pepper has a more positive effect on the primary outcome motivation (stable or decreased apathy) of people with dementia. METHODS: A mixed methods study will be performed, including a randomized controlled, parallel, 2-arm study with a complementary qualitative part. This sample includes 40 PWD living at home and 40 relatives, each complemented with five professional caregivers and dementia trainers. The intervention group will receive Coach Pepper (a SAR connected with a tablet PC-based dementia training program), and the control group will receive exclusively tablet PC-based training without the SAR. The duration of the intervention will be three weeks per household. Data will be collected at baseline and during and after the intervention by standardized questionnaires, sensor data of the robot, and tablet PC, as well as semistructured interviews, focus groups, and observation. RESULTS: To date, no results are available for this study protocol. The study intervention started in May 2019 and will end in Spring 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention of this study can be seen as a nonpharmacological intervention, including cognitive and physical training by a robot. This study will help to further refine SAR for the specific needs of people with dementia living at home. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/14927.