Will Animatronic Pets Be the Cure for the Loneliness of Older Adults?

In an issue of The New Yorker, Katie Engelhart asked the question: What can robots do for the old and the lonely?

Nearly 40% of people over the age of 65 live alone—the majority being women—which prompted the author to explore the impact of the additional layer of isolation imposed by COVID-19 on this population of individuals.

A social worker from the Cattaraugus County Area Agency for Aging (AAA), a rural part of New York state near the Pennsylvania border, who was no longer able to make physical visits to her clients, had a robotic cat delivered to a 92-year-old widow. On one level, the client was fully aware that the cat wasn’t real, and on the other hand, she began caring for and talking to the animatronic pet as if she was an actual member of the household. Other isolated individuals were provided “pets” through the county—many identified as in need by drivers of the Meals on Wheels program.

The article also identified that a number of the older adults who received robotic cats and dogs seemed to have benefited from this intervention.

The response to Ms Englehart’s article were mixed, however, with the most vocal opposition from Annamarie Pluhar, the president of Sharing Housing, Inc, a nonprofit group in Vermont that focuses on the need for affordable housing and the social connections between humans.

In her letter to the editor, Ms Pluhar argued, “There are millions of spare bedrooms in the United States, many of them in the homes of seniors who live alone. In the midst of an affordable housing crisis, helping seniors find housemates who can offer companionship in exchange for reduced rent is a win-win proposition.” The organization’s website identified “independence is equated with living alone…Shared housing is an ancient method of survival and well-being.”

This issue reminded me of a client I saw as a visiting nurse who lived in the middle of a large block of rowhomes in Philadelphia. Although she had owned the home for four decades, she was completely isolated from the other people on the block. In fact, when I asked her about her neighbors, she knew none of them and was no less isolated than those living in rural areas miles away from the nearest home.

Although a robotic pet may improve feelings of loneliness, it will not provide the necessary help activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADLs, or replace the need for human contact. Those who live in long-term care facilities who are emerging from limitations on visitation imposed by COVID-19 will also need to rekindle human connections with family, friends, staff, and other residents.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Population Health Learning Network or HMP Global, their employees, and affiliates. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, association, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.