Opportunities to use robots to alleviate behavioral disturbances of nursing home residents

The majority of people with dementia exhibit one or more Behavioral Disturbances (BDs; e.g. wandering, screaming). By detecting BDs with sensors, it would be possible to automatically send a robot to alleviate these disturbances. Purpose This study aimed to research in which situations robots and/or caregivers should be sent to a person exhibiting BDs and how robots and/or caregivers should intervene. Method We observed current care practices in two nursing homes and more specifically, how caregivers react to people exhibiting BDs. Results Discussion We learned that caregivers used various ways to address wandering nursing home residents (e.g. inviting them to sit down when they are exhausted). When these residents tried entering rooms of others, they were guided away by the caregivers. Also, we identified multiple opportunities for robot interventions. For example, a robot could detect when a wandering person is tired and invite the person to sit down or, distract a wandering person who is attempting to enter rooms of others. Future research will include conducting focus groups with caregivers to validate the findings and design the algorithm that determines when robots and/or caregivers should intervene and who should be sent in which situation. References 1 Desai, A. K., Schwartz, L., Grossberg, G. T. (2012). Behavioral disturbance in dementia. Current Psychiatry Reports, 14, 298–309.

ISBN:1569-1101

Jaar van publicatie:2016