Study of the Impact of a Social Robot on Unwanted Loneliness in Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes

Estudi de l'Impacte de la Soledat no Volguda Incorporant un Robot Social en Centres Residencials

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the usefulness of social robots reducing unwanted loneliness in persons over 65 living in nursing homes. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can social robots reduce unwanted loneliness?
• Can social robots improve quality of live and well-being? The selected centers are organized in several classes of living units. Living units are independent physical spaces with their own common facilities for the persons living in (usually around 15). Living units of the same class gather persons with similar characteristics.

To compare the added value of the robots half of the living units will be allocated to a control group, and the other half to the intervention group.

The persons in living units allocated to the control group will receive the same attentions and care which were receiving before the enrollment in the study, whereas the persons allocated to the intervention group will add a social robot to their usual therapies and activities. Namely participants will do three weekly individual cognitive stimulation sessions of 10 minutes each one, two weekly group mobility sessions of 30 minutes, one monthly conversational group about customs and traditions of 60 minutes, one 10 minutes videoconference per month with their relatives. Furthermore, participants will be able to interact freely with the robot to obtain information about the center (for instance, what is for dinner) and its activities.

The intervention will last 8 weeks. To assess the effectivity, the investigators will assess both groups, before the intervention, at the end of the intervention and 4 weeks after finishing the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be 65 years old or older.
• To live indefinitely for more than 6 months in the participating nursing home (to avoid the effect of the adaptation period).
• Provide the informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Impossibility to understand and/or answer the loneliness questionnaire for themselves.
• To have physical, cognitive or other conditions preventing the use of the robot platform.