One of the things that I have been seeking over the year 2018 was to get a way to help my demented great grandmother who always seem lonely, abandoned and neglected. In my search I found about robotic pets for dementia patients. Not that we have neglected her, no; she has three caregivers and since we live in an extended compound, we are always at her beck and call. So when I found out about these pets on this website, I was elated.
Robotic Pets Can Help your dementia patients
According to research, pets can be good for dementia patients as they help alleviate anxiety, agitation, loneliness and depression. Whether it be a fluffy dog, a cat or even a fish in the aquarium, they all bring companionship, unconditional love and fun to the dementia patient. However the traditional pets have their set of challenges and that is why, there is a new trend of using robotic pets for dementia patients so as to see how it will affect them and alleviate their behavioral problems.
The inventors of robotic pets for seniors argue that they thought of using robots other than live pets because of the following:
- Traditional live pets require you to feed them
- You will need to take away litter of live pets when they defecate, cleaning after them since they will leave fur and muddy feet everywhere they go.
- They will need veterinary care since they will fall sick once in a while.
- They might get agitated and end up scratching your patient which is something you do not want.
- Pets are also susceptible to diseases which they could infect your patient with.
With robotic pets though, none of the above things is needed.
Efficacy of robotic pets in treating dementia patients
In a research study using PARO robot pets for demented patients, it was found that after the research period where the patients were given the furry robots, stress and anxiety levels considerably reduced showing that they are really effective in curbing the disease.
Innovation invested in the pets
The pets are designed in such a way that they can respond to your calls and whistles making the dementia patient feel as though they indeed have a live companion. It has a hearbeat making the patient feel that indeed they have a live pet. They will also wink, wag their tail, turn their head as well as close its mouth.