New research shows that robots can have a big impact on the feelings of loneliness that elderly folk experience. In particular, a robot named Pepper shows great potential for helping to improve mental health within senior care communities and nursing homes. This is because Pepper is one of the most advanced pieces of artificial intelligence to exist. It is even capable of carrying on conversations.
When it comes to senior care, the usefulness of Pepper has already been established. In a series of studies conducted in the UK and in Japan, it has been shown that seniors that spend time with Pepper report that they are much less lonely than they were prior to this. Symptoms of depression also seemed to be alleviated after interactions with Pepper took place.
Pepper is capable of having a conversation, learning and discussing things that someone is interested in, it can teach different languages, play music, and send out an alert if medical assistance is needed. It’s function is purely social, but it does a really good job of it. The biggest issue that was faced in trial runs of the robot in senior care homes was that it often had difficulty recognizing speech, especially if the individual conversing with the robot had difficulty speaking or forming proper words.
Another one of the biggest concerns about Pepper right now is privacy. Because the robot is connected to the internet, there are worries that it can be used to obtain and manipulate personal information. The University of Bedfordshire, where the robot has been developed, has not expressed these concerns, though.
Mental health is an important component of caring for the elderly. If mental health is not taken into account, seniors are a lot less likely to have a high quality of life. Depression, anxiety, and loneliness can take a big toll on someone and have even been linked to lower life expectancy. Something like Pepper is incredibly helpful in this light.
But even Pepper, a robot that is a huge leap forward when it comes to science and senior care, is a poor replacement for the real thing. Conversing with a human that is capable of love, emotion, and empathy, is always going to be preferable to a robot. While a robot might be a decent stand-in when there are no other options, like what we’ve seen during this current pandemic, a human is always going to be able to provide a better job of companionship.
Even the most advanced robot cannot completely replace human contact. Although robots do add value to people’s lives, they cannot add the same amount of value that increased human contact would. This is why it’s so important that we be aware of our loved one’s needs and how to meet them. This is why personalized senior care can be so helpful. This is why we provide the type of senior care that we do.
If you have questions about care, we are happy to help. Call us today to learn more about how in-home care might help your family.
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