Humanoid socially assistive robots in dementia care: a qualitative study about expectations of caregivers and dementia trainers

Abstract

Objective

To examine the expectations of informal caregivers, nurses, and dementia trainers regarding the support of (physical and psychosocial) human needs by humanoid social assistive robots (SARs) in dementia care.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted with 11 homogeneous focus groups of informal caregivers, nurses and dementia trainers providing dementia care at home, in adult daycare centers, or in nursing homes. A qualitative content analysis was performed using a concept- and data-driven coding frame.

Results

Focus group discussions with 52 individuals were held. Participants reported mostly positive expectations and stated that SARs could offer potential support in all components of human needs, especially in avoiding danger (e.g. recognise danger, organise help), communication/contact with others (e.g. enable telephone calls, provide company), daily activities (e.g. remind of appointments, household obligations), recreational activities (e.g. provide music), eating/drinking (e.g. help cook), and mobility/body posture (e.g. give reminders/instructions for physical exercise). Participants also mentioned some negative expectations in all human needs, predominantly in communication/contact with others (e.g. loss of interpersonal interaction) and avoiding danger (e.g. scepticism regarding emergencies).

Conclusion

Participants stated that SARs had great potential to provide assistance in dementia care, especially by reminding, motivating/encouraging and instructing people with dementia. Informal caregivers and nurses also considered them as useful supportive devices for themselves. However, participants also mentioned negative expectations, especially in communication/contact with others and avoiding danger. These findings demonstrate the support caregivers and dementia trainers expect from humanoid SARs and may contribute to their optimisation for dementia care.

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank the informal caregivers, nurses, and dementia trainers who participated in the focus groups.

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency [FFG] and the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology [BMVIT] by project AMIGO [grant number 865646]. This funding source had no role in the design and execution of this study, neither during data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data nor in writing the manuscript.