Did you know that nearly one-third of adults (32%) report that they often or always feel lonely or isolated? Ageless Innovation aspires to change that, innovating products and initiatives that alleviate social isolation and loneliness and positively impacting the lives of older adults, bringing joy as we live and age together.
Ageless Innovation’s Reach Out and Play initiative, sponsored by AARP, is designed to create meaningful social connections for older adults by bringing people of all ages together through the power of play.
Reach Out and Play Board Game Events will be held across the country—and everyone is invited to play! Reach Out and Play events will occur on an ongoing cadence throughout the 2024, with a large concentration taking place in the fall/ winter, in line with Grandparents Day in September and throughout the holiday season.
AARP and other partners are hosting Reach Out and Play Board Game Events. Friends and family of all ages are welcome! Find a game night event near you at aarp.org/agelessplay.
Interested in hosting an event in your community? Our Community Event Toolkit has everything you need to know – from how to register your event and have it added to the aarp.org/agelessplay listings to hosting a successful Reach Out and Play Board Game Event. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Host at Home
If you can’t find a Reach Out and Play Board Game Event in your area, there’s no better place to bring your family and friends together than around your own kitchen table!
Here are a few tips to host your very own Reach Out and Play Board Game Event at home:
Invite friends or bring your whole family together
Have snacks handy to keep the fun going
Choose games that all generations would enjoy (consider the ages and abilities of your guests)
Capture the fun with photos and share it on your social media pages
Don’t forget to tag @AgelessInnovation and use #ReachOutandPlay so we can follow the fun!
The Joy for All™ Board Games are reimagined classics that meet the needs and interest of older adults. With age-inclusive components, such as easy-to-grasp game pieces, increased font size, and trivia and references that cater to players of all ages, these games will spark fun, conversation and connection at any Reach Out and Play Board Game Event!
To learn more about or purchase Joy for All Games:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether introducing a robotic companion cat into a long term care facility may improve affect and, subsequently, increase participation for residents with dementia, and to determine potential benefits for caregiver roles and relationships with individuals with dementia.
Background
The number of people with dementia is growing, and the behavioral and psychological side effects are negatively affecting the quality of life for these people as well as their caregivers. Additional research is needed to help develop and confirm the use of nonpharmacological treatment for dementia with therapeutic robots.
Study Subjects
Research was conducted at Bridgewater Retirement Community in the complete-care nursing households. We recruited 11 participants, ages 81-95, and all data was collected within each resident’s household and common area. All participants had a diagnosis of dementia, resided in a long-term care facility, and relied on assistance from caregivers for some or all activities of daily living.
Methods
Data was collected using a mixed-methods design that combined both quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitative measures included a pre and post Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) (Appendix A), completed by the household coordinators, as well as weekly behavior log and physiological indexes (heart rate and oxygen saturation) (Appendix B), used to objectively document our observations and interactions with the cat.
These measures were used to determine the efficacy of a robotic companion on agitation. Qualitative measures included weekly observational data and staff reports as well as a final questionnaire for the household coordinators to summarize their overall impression of our study on the participants. These measures were used to determine the perceived quality of life of individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Use of psychotropic and pain medication was determined by review of the Medication Dispensing Record after the data was collected.
Results
We found a statistically significant reduction in agitation scores from the beginning of our study to the end, along with a statistically significant increase in oxygen saturation throughout the course of the study. There were no significant changes in heart rate from preintervention to post-intervention (Table 1). Qualitative data collected throughout the course of the study were sorted into categories and analyzed for emerging themes. The data for each participant for each interaction over the course of the study is displayed in Figure 1. Overall themes over the course of the study are displayed in Figure 2. We did not find any significant reduction in the use of psychotropic medications over the course of the study. The household coordinator’s responses to the final questionnaire were overwhelmingly positive and described the impact that the robotic companion cats had made on their residents and their caregivers.
Conclusion
The use of robotic companion cats enhances the well-being and quality of life of individuals with dementia living in a long-term care facility by providing companionship and interaction with their environment which helps to reduce anxiety and agitation. Robotic companion cats also reduce the burden placed on caregivers by providing a nonpharmacological intervention for agitation and loneliness. Due to our small sample size, it is still difficult to draw any major conclusions about the use of nonpharmacological therapy as an adjunct to pharmacological therapy in the long term treatment of dementia. Though these effects were not seen across all participants, the researchers believe that the impact these companion cats have had on a few individuals is significant enough to prompt future research and continue exploring other non-pharmacological options for improving the day to day life of an individual with dementia.
Differences in depression and loneliness, during the COVID-19 pandemic, for older adults with mild to moderate dementia living in residential care after interacting with a robotic companion dog or cat were explored. Experiences of family members and professional caregivers were also examined.
Design
This study used a mixed research design with pre- and post-questionnaires on depression and loneliness.
Method
Quantitative data exploring the impact of companion pets on depression and loneliness were collected from participants pre-intervention and at 3- and 6-week intervals. Qualitative data were collected during the 6-week study period, permitting researchers to explore the impact of robotic companion pets on participants, family members, and professional caregivers.
Findings
Results indicated depression (χ2F(2) = 21.29, p < 0.001) and loneliness (χ2F(2) = 21.11, p < 0.001) improved. Moreover, participants were engaged with their companion pet, providing meaningful, activity and positive experiences.
Conclusions
Robotic companion pet therapy, a holistic, nonpharmacologic animal-assisted therapy (AAT), changed the AAT landscape at the study site and provided an alternative option to live pet therapy during COVID-19. Participant interactions with their robotic companion pets enhanced their well-being and quality of life, especially during stringent COVID-19 restrictions and social isolation.
Robot pets may assist in the challenges of supporting an aging population with growing dementia prevalence. Prior work has focused on the impacts of the robot seal Paro on older adult well-being, but recent studies have suggested the good acceptability and implementation feasibility of more affordable devices (Joy for All [JfA] cats and dogs).
Objective
We aimed to address the limited effectiveness research on JfA devices.
Methods
We conducted an 8-month, stratified, cluster randomized controlled trial in 8 care homes in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Over 4 months, 4 care homes each received 2 JfA devices (1 cat and 1 dog; intervention group), and 4 homes received care as usual (control group).
Psychometrics were collected before and after the intervention to compare the change from baseline to follow-up between the groups. In the final 4 months, all 8 care homes received devices, but only qualitative data were collected owing to COVID-19 and reduced capacity. The primary outcome was neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory [NPI] Nursing Home version). Care provider burden was a secondary outcome (occupational disruptiveness NPI subscale), alongside the Challenging Behavior scale, the Holden communication scale, the Campaign to End Loneliness questionnaire, and medication use.
Qualitative data were collected through care staff observation calendars and end-of-study interviews to understand use, experience, and impact. We also collected demographic data and assessed dementia severity. In total, 253 residents had robot interaction opportunities, and 83 were consented for direct data collection.
Results
There was a significant difference in the total change from baseline to follow-up between the intervention and control groups for NPI (P<.001) and occupational disruptiveness (P=.03). Neuropsychiatric symptoms increased in the control group and decreased in the intervention group. No significant difference was seen for communication issues or challenging behavior. For NPI subdomains, there were significant differences from baseline to follow-up in delusions (P=.03), depression (P=.01), anxiety (P=.001), elation (P=.02), and apathy (P=.009), all of which decreased in the intervention group and increased slightly in the control group. The summative impact results suggested that most residents (46/54, 85%) who interacted with robots experienced a positive impact. Those who interacted had significantly higher dementia severity scores (P=.001). The qualitative results suggested good adoption, acceptability, and suitability for subjectively lonely individuals and lack of a novelty effect through sustained use, and demonstrated that the reasons for use were entertainment, anxiety, and agitation.
Conclusions
Affordable robot pets hold potential for improving the well-being of care home residents and people with dementia, including reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms and occupational disruptiveness. This work suggests no novelty effect and contributes toward understanding robot pet suitability. Moreover, interactions were more common among residents with more moderate/severe dementia and those subjectively lonely.
Reduce Use of Antipsychotics and other Medications
Increased Quality of Life
Others: Decreased Agitation; Increased Cooperation with Activities of Daily Living
Organization Name
Alacare Home Health and Hospice
Organization Type
Home Health and Hospice
Organization Description
Alacare is Alabama’s oldest and largest family-owned home health care agency. Since 1970, Alacare has provided patients with quality home healthcare including hospice/palliative care and rehabilitation services.
Project Description
Alacare has long recognized the value of pet assisted visits and therapies with home bound patients, but the liability risks for incorporating live pets into our patient-centered care provisions has stifled the prospects for the inclusion of 4-legged volunteers into our programs.
Providentially, John Beard, President of Alacare Home Health and Hospice, discovered the animated, robotic Joy For All Companion Pets. Under his guidance and leadership, Alacare developed and completed a Companion Pet Pilot Study in 2018. Hospice patients experiencing anxiety due to advancing dementia and other patients perceived at risk for social isolation were considered for participation in the study.
