“As far as I know, Sweden is one of the few countries where this is so widespread. I think we are very quick to adopt technology,” says Sofia Thunberg, who has written her doctoral thesis at the Department of Computer and Information Science at Linköping University.
A survey she has conducted among Swedish municipalities shows that as many as 52 per cent use robot animals in their activities. This is far more than was previously known. The robot animals have some mobility, can make sounds and react to people. Most are used in dementia care homes, but many are also in short-term care homes or ordinary care homes for older adults. They cost no more than a few thousand Swedish kronor.
Relieve the burden
Sofia Thunberg has interviewed decision-makers in ten municipalities about how they view the technology. As far as is known, this is the first time such an investigation has been conducted. It is evident that the companion robots are not always seen as technology, but more as a kind of cuddly toy. At the same time, the decision-makers believe that robots can relieve the burden on healthcare personnel or even reduce the need for as many staff. In addition, there is hope that they can contribute to an improved quality of life for older adults.
However, no one has carried out an evaluation. Neither the staff, the older adults nor their relatives have been asked about their experiences.
As part of her thesis, Sofia Thunberg has conducted nine months of field studies at a dementia care home in Motala, which acquired a robot cat as early as 2019. It was one of the first in Sweden.
New technology - new demands
She notes that for the staff the robot animal did not mean less work, but quite the opposite. The robot is a new tool to be used with consideration. Sometimes it could be used as a calming influence, but at lunch there could be disputes about who should have the cat on their lap. In that case, it had to be taken away. Some older adults reacted negatively to the cat because they identified themselves as dog people or did not like animals.
When asked directly, the staff were always careful to say that it was not a real cat. At the same time, the illusion was strong, and the companion animal became part of the community.
“It’s a bit like the whole ward is pretending that this is a real cat, and many of them buy a cat box and a bowl to make it look like it’s a real animal,” says Sofia Thunberg.
This places new demands on the care workers. The importance of the staff was also evident during the pandemic when the stressful work situation meant that the robots were left unused.
Increased quality of life
But when the robot animal was used, it often meant a lot to the users. The staff told of people who had not said a word for years that started talking to the cat and to each other about the cat. Some who were very anxious were able to reduce the amount of sedative medication they took because of the calming influence of the robot animal. Not least important was that the older adults were given something to look after, which contributed to an increased quality of life, according to Sofia Thunberg.
Her advice to municipalities considering buying social robots is to think carefully about why they are doing it, where the robots will be best used and how the staff can be supported in developing work with the new tool. She also recommends that a treatment plan be drawn up for each person.
“You have to make sure that it’s not deployed too much or to too many, which may instead cause anxiety. It isn’t suitable for everyone,” says Sofia Thunberg.
Translation: Simon Phillips
Contact: Sofia Thunberg: 072-323 92 06; thunberg.sofia@gmail.com