https://www.uchealth.org/today/robotic-companion-pets-help-older-hospital-dementia-patients
Lifelike cats, dogs and birds help older patients stay calm and feel at home when they have to be hospitalized. If the success of a UCHealth pilot project is any measure, robotic cats, dogs, and birds could become pivotal in supporting older patients.
Robotic companion pets first emerged as care enhancers for dementia patients in 2004 with the commercialization, in Japan, of a baby harp seal robot called PARO. The idea was to help reduce loneliness, agitation and anxiety among people with dementia. PARO cost several thousand dollars, and its target market was nursing care facilities rather than hospitals.
But at a conference early this year, Jennifer Rodgers, University of Colorado Hospital’s chief nursing officer, attended a presentation about PARO’s benefits for hospitalized dementia patients. She discussed the possibility of robotic companion pets with Fehlig, who did some research and suggested using robotic cats, dogs and birds rather than the baby seal. There were several advantages to switching from aquatic to dryland creatures.
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