P4‐367: HUMANOID SOCIAL ROBOTS IN HEALTH CARE: ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEIVED ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA, RELATIVES, NURSES AND DEMENTIA TRAINERS

Abstract

Dementia rates are increasing worldwide and consequently burden global healthcare resources to a serious degree. However, there is a declining number of caregivers to provide care. It is for this reason that the possible use of technologies, such as social robots, has been increasingly researched, because of their potential to support caregivers in promoting the independence of people with dementia. There is a lack of studies exploring the possible uses of robots from the perspective of those affected by dementia. This study therefore aims at exploring the attitudes, knowledge and perceived ADL needs of people with dementia regarding robot support, e.g. by the robot Pepper, as well as the views of relatives, nurses and dementia trainers. This qualitative study (2018) is the first step of the project “AMIGO” to refine the robot Pepper (Fig. 1) for healthcare use. 18 interviews with people with dementia living at home or in a nursing home and seven focus groups with relatives, nurses and dementia trainers were conducted. Qualitative content analysis using a concept-driven coding frame was performed to analyze the data. Half of the people with dementia and the majority of relatives, nurses and trainers would like to test Pepper because of its novelty and out of curiosity about Pepper's functionalities. Most of the people with dementia have never seen a robot. The majority of relatives, nurses and trainers know humanoid-, vacuuming-, lawnmower- and industry robots as well as communication bots. The interviewees with dementia stated needing robots to avoid danger (e.g. recognize and draw attention to danger like falls and organize help) followed by organising daily activities (e.g. reminders, instructions for appointments/medications, support household tasks), eating/drinking (e.g. help with shopping list and shopping), communication (e.g. support telephone calls and spectacle use, voice function uses) and to foster mobility (e.g. reminders, instructions for physical exercises). The focus groups yielded the same categories, albeit in another order. Both interviewees and focus group partners stated differing ideas of robot support in these categories.