P4‐630: USE OF A HYBRID FACE ROBOT IN DEMENTIA CARE: UNDERSTANDING FEASIBILITY IN INDIA

Abstract

The Indian population census 2011 revealed that there are nearly 104 million persons over the age of 60. The share and size of the elderly population is projected to increase over the next few decades. The World Health Organization predicts that the number of persons with Dementia will double every 20 years. In accordance to this prediction, the rapidly ageing population is witnessing an increasing incidence of dementia. Furthermore, this trend is accompanied by the decreasing availability of caregivers. Therefore, the potential use of robots in addressing the care needs such as providing engagement for a person with dementia in a developing country such as India would be of great value. This study aims to understand the feasibility and acceptance of using robots for social engagement among persons living with Dementia in Chennai, India. Dementia care professionals have paired up with experts in the field of robotics to explore the use of robots in providing engagement to persons with dementia. Through detailed scientific discussions with our colleagues at Bio-mechatronics Lab in Imperial College London, this intervention was further developed for use in India. Furthermore, this study tries to assess the feasibility of using robots as a potential intervention through a focus group discussion in a group comprised of professionals experienced in the field of dementia, experts in the field of robotics, caregivers of persons with dementia and persons living with dementia. Our results will help identify and assess the factors that have an impact on the feasibility and acceptance of this intervention. We will also identify and highlight areas that require modifications to further adapt this intervention and make it culturally relevant. This study will outline the structure of the intervention adapted for delivery – The use of Hybrid face robots to provide engagement to persons with dementia. References Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. Elderly in India: Profiles and programmes. (Eds) Borah, H., Shukla, P., Jain, K., Kumar, S. P., Prakash, S., & Gajrana, K. R (2016). World Health Organization and Alzheimer's Disease International (2012) Dementia: a public health priority. Technical report 112 pp.