Robotic cats, dogs help those with Alzheimer’s
You could get them a furry robotic friend through Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs to keep them company. The robots are designed to look, move and act like cats and dogs.
The department says it’s planning to deliver more than 375 free robotic pets to socially isolated senior citizens and adults living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia this week to “improve their daily mood and give them a greater sense of well-being” during Florida’s stayat-home orders and social distancing requirements.
The interactive robotic pets are meant to be an “alternative” to traditional pet therapy and can help give a “reprieve” to caretakers who are stressed about caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the department.
While the robotic pets are normally used to treat adults with Alzheimer’s or other dementia, officials hope the pets will also help senior citizens who live alone and miss seeing their families and friends during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Both Humane societies say the interaction with cats, dogs and other approved companion animals can provide a variety of benefits including lower blood pressure, decreasing both stress and anxiety levels and promoting social interaction.
Ageless Innovation, the company that has partnered with Florida to provide its “Joy for All” robotic companion pets (which were originally designed and launched by Hasbro) says its Alkaline batterypowered cats and dogs provide similar positive effects.
Like real animals, the pets will respond to the person’s voice and touch, have a “lifelike” coat and a “heartbeat” you can feel, according to Ageless Innovation. They also make sounds — cats can purr, dogs can bark — and are able to move their heads, lift their front paws and open and close their eyes.
Florida’s Department of
Elder Affairs says it purchased a shipment of the robotic cats and dogs — which typically cost $109.99 and $129.99 respectively — at a discounted rate from Ageless Innovation and will be providing the pets free to eligible residents.
Each robotic pet comes with a letter from Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom along with a guide in English and Spanish that includes tips on how to introduce the pet to your loved one.
The robotic pets initiative was on the mind of Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom since he heard Ageless Innovation founder Ted Fischer speak about the robotic pets during an Alzheimer’s Community Care Conference in Palm Beach Gardens last year. But, it was the COVID-19 shutdown that took it off the backburner and made it possible, according to the department.
Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs has also partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to provide free MP3 players pre-loaded with the resident’s choice of musical genre, including patriotic, country, Broadway tunes and gospel. The music, like the robotic pets, can help reduce stress, improve your mood and increase the ability to effectively communicate.
Socially isolated senior citizens and caregivers living with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia are eligible to request the robotic pets and the MP3 player by visiting https://fldoea.share point.com/:x:/r/sites/ EXTENV/surveys/_ layouts/15/WopiFrame .aspx?guestaccesstoke n=oyU7SxJlO5p9U3II AxvGszCxU0Ve4Vh5 R%2bQA1OC%2fcb 8%3d&docid=1_199b f3fa9bcf14ef6a4b246 c32349aab2&wd FormId=%7B81E7 E1F9%2DEF57%2 D44D2%2DA1C8 %2DF8F75AD89 B12%7D&action= formsubmit&cid= 8e67f16b-cd10422a-a644-730
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