Can robots tackle late-life loneliness? Scanning of future opportunities and challenges in assisted living facilities

Pirhonen, Jari; Tiilikainen, Elisa; Pekkarinen, Satu; Lemivaara, Marjut; Melkas, Helinä

doi:10.1016/j.futures.2020.102640

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…This risk was reported by family members (26) as well as OAs (45). Several works have discussed how this kind of technology-based care-related interventions should promote and enhance human contact rather than threaten it (60)(61)(62). Regarding this issue, a solution suggested is that professionals who administer video calls activities monitor the balance between the modalities of social contact that are offered to older adults in an institution.…”

Section: Ethical Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Video Calls for Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults in Elderly Care Institutions

Naudé

Rigaud

Pino

2022

Front. Public Health

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Social isolation in geriatric institutions is a real threat to older adults' (OAs) well-being. Visits from family members, when they are not impacted by geographical distance or illness, sometimes fail to provide sufficient opportunities for social connectedness and interaction to prevent and/or combat OAs' loneliness and social isolation. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer promising solutions to this problem. Video calls provide a quick and convenient way for remote communication between OAs and their families, and a complement to face-to-face visits in geriatric settings. Over the last months, during the several confinements imposed to stop the transmission of COVID-19 over the world, several care homes and long-care facilities have equipped themselves with laptops, tablets and video call applications to help OAs remain in contact with their relatives. However, numerous technical and human-related factors may hinder the use of video calls in these settings. The complexity of technological devices, as well as OAs limited digital skills, low confidence and experience in the use of technology are some examples. Furthermore, the specific context of use and the required implication of multiple actors (care professionals, family members) should also be considered when examining the use and implementation of video calls in geriatric institutions. We conducted a narrative review of literature describing the use of video calls in geriatric institutions between 2000 and 2021, especially because of the little information related to OAs' use of video calls in geriatric settings. One thousand one hundred ninety-seven references were screened and 15 studies focusing on the usability, acceptability and effectiveness of video calls were included. A qualitative, deductive thematic analysis inspired by a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) multidimensional model was used to identify barriers, enablers and solutions to video calls implementation in geriatric institutions. The results from the HTA-based analysis provide encouraging evidence for the feasibility of video call use in geriatric settings, and its efficacy on reducing social isolation among residents. However, numerous technical, human-related, ethical and organizational barriers persist and should be addressed in future works. The present analysis has also allowed the identification of potential solutions to overcome these barriers, which are discussed in this publication.

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Section: Ethical Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Video Calls for Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults in Elderly Care Institutions

Naudé

Rigaud

Pino

2022

Front. Public Health

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“…Robots can be deployed for disinfection of the COVID-19 wards, delivering medications and food to the patients, and remotely measuring patients' vital signs. Additionally, there has been a recent interest in using "social robots" to deal with the loneliness faced by older people in assisted living (Pirhonen et al, 2020). As per a survey conducted by Healthwatch North Sommerset, 63% of elderly and vulnerable people felt isolated and lonely due to the lockdown, with the majority saying this affected their wellbeing and physical health (Angear, 2020).…”

Section: Roboticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Wearable and Contactless Sensing for COVID-19 With Policy Challenges

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 100 million people worldwide, with around 500,000 cases reported daily. This has led to the overwhelming of healthcare systems even in developed countries such as the US, UK, etc. Remote monitoring of COVID-19 patients with non-serious symptoms can help reduce the burden on healthcare facilities and make them available for high risk groups and the seriously affected. The pandemic has accelerated the demand for the remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies, and the market is expected to reach 2.14 billion in 2027 from the value of 786.4 million in 2019. In RPM programs, there are two types of sensors that can be used: wearable and contactless. The former, which is currently more widely used, is not only more obtrusive and uncomfortable, but can also lead to cross-infection through patient contact. These two types of technologies are discussed and compared for each vital sign. In the respiratory system, the vital signs are the respiratory rate (RR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2), while for the latter, they are the heart rate/rhythm and the blood pressure (BP). Then, the discussion is broadened to policy level changes needed to expedite the use of such technologies for remote patient monitoring (RPM) in the world. Around 80% of countries' RPM programs are either informal or in a pilot phase, and thus lack policies and an established regulatory framework to implement their programs. The various policies needed to initiate, deliver, and reimburse RPM programs during emergency situations and outbreaks are discussed. Finally, technologies such as contactless systems, robotics, and Internet-of-things (IoT) that will revolutionize healthcare in the future by reducing the interaction between physicians and patients and cross-infection are discussed.

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“…Pirhonen et al ( 25 ) conducted a study on the impact of social robots and communicating technology in decreasing social and emotional loneliness in elderly residents. Assessed aspects were those included in the analytical frame built on Robert Weiss' division of relational functions: Social integration, attachment, reassurance of worth, opportunity for nurturance, guidance in stressful situations, and sense of reliable alliance.…”

Section: Autonomous Robotic Applications For Patients With Advanced Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors identified that social robots can positively influence both social and emotional loneliness in this population. However, ethical concerns related to lack of human contact and deception still need to be considered before using social robots when caring for the elderly ( 25 ).…”

Section: Autonomous Robotic Applications For Patients With Advanced Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Nursing procedures for advanced dementia: Traditional techniques versus autonomous robotic applications (Review)

et al. 2021

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The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of traditional nursing techniques and autonomous robotic applications used for managing patients with advanced stages of dementia. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and WILEY databases were searched for relevant articles concerning nursing techniques applied in the treatment of patients with advanced dementia. The search terms included: (advanced dementia OR severe dementia) AND [artificial intelligence (AI) OR robotic OR robots OR neural networks OR deep learning OR automated procedures OR autonomous application]. This search identified a total of 2,679 articles and 298 articles were selected. Finally, 23 articles were included in this systematic review, out of which 8 studies analyzed traditional nursing techniques and 15 studies analyzed autonomous robotic applications. Significant evidence was revealed, demonstrating that autonomous robotic applications used for patients with advanced stages of dementia are a feasible, cost-efficient solution and represent an excellent benefit for patients and the healthcare system. Contents1. Introduction 2. Traditional nursing techniques for patients with advanced dementia 3. Autonomous Robotic Applications for patients with advanced dementia 4. Conclusions

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Can robots tackle late-life loneliness? Scanning of future opportunities and challenges in assisted living facilities

Cited by 32 publications

References 69 publications

Video Calls for Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults in Elderly Care Institutions

Video Calls for Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults in Elderly Care Institutions

A Review on Wearable and Contactless Sensing for COVID-19 With Policy Challenges

Nursing procedures for advanced dementia: Traditional techniques versus autonomous robotic applications (Review)

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