Love can come in many forms, and this Valentine’s Day, one senior living provider is giving out robot pet companions to older adults who are feeling lonely.
Bronx-based RiverSpring Living is identifying New York seniors in need of a Valentine’s Day boost as part of its ongoing mechanical pet program. The providers has given out 40 robot pets so far, most recently to a 90-year-old woman, Ruth Mensch, who was gifted a robotic golden retriever puppy last month, the company announced.
Older adults who lose a real pet are often hit particularly hard, as pets can often be one’s “main source of routine, motivation and purpose,” one counseling website notes.
Many senior living communities do allow pets, but if robotic companions — whether they appear as pets, humans or talking lamps — become more widely accepted, that could open up new opportunities in long-term care for addressing residents’ feelings of isolation.
RiverSpring officials said they have seen an uptick in social isolation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging studies have revealed a connection between loneliness and a person’s overall health.
RiverSpring’s robo-pet program is designed to help members cope with loneliness and isolation without the challenge of caring for living pets.
“Robo-pets have a therapeutic effect that can be nurturing and healing,” Patty Hron, vice president of member services at RiverSpring, said in a statement. “It’s a great way to bring joy to our members and really demonstrates the dedication and attention to detail that is provided by our nurse care managers.”
The robotic dog can bark, stretch and change positions after being touched or petted, RiverSpring noted.
The robo-pet, “Georgina,” isn’t a substitute for a real dog, or human companion, but it reminds the user of dog’s they’ve had in the past in a positive way, the recent recipient’s daughter, Ellen Mensch told the McKnight’s Tech Daily.
“It just makes her smile,” Mensch said Monday. “She laughs when Georgina barks and turns her head; it’s just the little surprises. The dog is just one part of many components [of Ruth Mensch’s social life] but it’s a strong component.”
It isn’t the only New York-based organization working to distribute robotic pets. The New York State Office for the Aging launched an animatronic pet program several years ago for older adults living in the more isolated northern counties in the state. Other states, including Florida, also have robotic pet programs for older adults.
RiverSpring Living won several McKnight’s Tech Awards last year and has introduced several innovations to their seniors, including virtual reality programs, McKnight’s reported last summer.
