How do robotic pets for dementia care work?

People living with dementia face many daily challenges and carers are always looking for ways to help soothe anxieties and promote wellbeing. One way of doing that is with pet therapy, which provides companionship and a sense of purpose to many of those with cognitive issues in old age.

But it’s not just real-life animals that can provide comfort to a person living with dementia; robotic pets can perform a similar function. They can help prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation without the practicalities of living pets.

Research has shown that the benefits of robotic pets for dementia range from improving mood and reducing agitation to providing reassurance to individuals. The entertainment value goes beyond just being an activity, providing an experience that is meaningful and reduces apathy.

Lifelike robotic pets

Robotic pets are effective as they have been developed to be lifelike and play a similar role as a living cat or dog. What’s more, they’re an appropriate size to sit in the lap of a person living with dementia without the risk of making a mess or shedding hair.

Pilot schemes have demonstrated that people living with dementia have taken to robotic pets quickly. They naturally give the toys names, talk to them and stroke them affectionately, just like a real animal.

Animatronic pets react to human touch, flicking their ears and twitching their whiskers in a way that mimics their real-life counterparts. This makes them a more effective substitute for a cat or dog than a stuffed toy. The cats purr and meow, while the dogs bark in response to being spoken to.

Making a short noise in the dog’s direction elicits a short bark in return, while talking for longer results in the dog making a more elongated noise. Stroking its back triggers a subtle heartbeat in its chest, while the front legs can be splayed to facilitate cuddling chest-to-chest.

Those with an instinct for nurturing the pets often go beyond talking and stroking them, wanting to feed, groom and even dress them. This can provide a sense of purpose lost to many people living with dementia, making it a very worthwhile exercise.

It’s not just cats and dogs that can be used as the basis for robotic pets either, as song birds tweeting can be popular with people who like to sing or whistle. Like everything to do with people living with dementia, it’s important to find the right robotic pet for the individual, allowing them to bond with the one that suits them.

There are also some people living with dementia who don’t instinctively engage with robotic pets. In these cases, the situation shouldn’t be forced and there may be other types of therapy that are more effective.

Easing the pressure on carers

Robotic pets have been found to be a useful tool for carers looking for methods to calm people living with dementia when they become agitated. As well as seeing a visible improvement in anxiety, it can mean the need to medicate is reduced, which is better for everyone involved.

Utilising animatronic pets to calm individuals can help carers carrying out specific tasks such as eating or dressing a person living with dementia. Fewer instances of aggression and outbursts can ease the pressure on carers and result in a calmer situation for everyone.

The calming robotic pet can be carried around and taken to unfamiliar settings, such as GP or hospital appointments. This reassuring presence can be enough to help ensure the situation goes as smoothly as possible and distract the person living with dementia from the change in environment.

Providing a talking point

The Plymouth University research found that people living with dementia who exhibited symptoms of loneliness were the most likely to engage with robotic pets. As well as the animals being reactive, they gave individuals something to talk about and stimulated brain function.

Some people may have had pets throughout their lives, whether it was a beloved family dog as a child or cats more recently in adulthood. Engaging with robotic animals is an effective way to bring back memories of such creatures that have been an important presence in someone’s life.