Evaluation of a Companion Robot for Individuals With Dementia: Quantitative Findings of the MARIO Project in an Irish Residential Care Setting.

Journal: Journal of gerontological nursing
Published Date: Jul 1, 2019

Abstract

The current study focuses on the short-term effect of MARIO, a social robot, on quality of life, depression, and perceived social support in persons with dementia (PWD) and evaluates their acceptability of MARIO. Ten PWD in one nursing home took part in a 4-week pilot study, where each participant had up to 12 sessions with MARIO. Sessions comprised engagement in music, news, reminiscence, games, and calendar applications. Standardized questionnaires were administered before and after the 4-week period. Participants had a sustained interest in MARIO during their interactions and an acceptance of MARIO's appearance, sound, and applications. Consequently, participants spent more time socially engaged. No statistically significant differences were found in quality of life, depression, and perceived social support. PWD can engage with a social robot in a real-world nursing home. Future research should incorporate a larger sample and longer intervention period. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(7), 36-45.].

Authors

  • Eva Barrett
    School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway Ireland.
  • Megan Burke
  • Sally Whelan
    School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway Ireland.
  • Adam Santorelli
    School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway Ireland.
  • Barbara Luz Oliveira
  • Filippo Cavallo
    The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Pisa 56025, Italy. filippo.cavallo@santannapisa.it.
  • Rose-Marie Dröes
  • Louise Hopper
  • Ainna Fawcett-Henesy
  • Franka J M Meiland
  • Gail Mountain
    School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. g.a.mountain@sheffield.ac.uk.
  • Wendy Moyle
    Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
  • Massimiliano Raciti
    R2M Solution, Pavia, Italy.
  • Geoff Pegman
  • Aimee Teare
  • Daniele Sancarlo
    2 Complex Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy .
  • Francesco Riccardi
  • Grazia D'Onofrio
    2 Complex Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy .
  • Francesco Giuliani
    4 ICT, Innovation & Research Unit, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy .
  • Alessandro Russo
    1 Semantic Technology Laboratory (STLab), Institute for Cognitive Sciences and Technology (ISTC)-National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.
  • Andy Bleaden
  • Antonio Greco
    2 Complex Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza," San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy .
  • Dympna Casey
    School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway Ireland.

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