Robotic Animal Use among Older Adults Enrolled in Palliative or Hospice Care: A Scoping Review and Framework for Future Research

Allyson Miles; Noelle L. Fields; Michael Bennett; Ling Xu; Karen Magruder; Mary Kris Stringfellow; Benjamin J. Sesay; Swasati Handique

doi:10.3390/robotics13060092

Robotics (Jun 2024)

Robotic Animal Use among Older Adults Enrolled in Palliative or Hospice Care: A Scoping Review and Framework for Future Research

Allyson Miles,
Noelle L. Fields,
Michael Bennett,
Ling Xu,
Karen Magruder,
Mary Kris Stringfellow,
Benjamin J. Sesay,
Swasati Handique

Affiliations

Allyson Miles: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Noelle L. Fields: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Michael Bennett: School of Social Work, University of Windsor, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON N9A 0C5, Canada
Ling Xu: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Karen Magruder: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Mary Kris Stringfellow: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Benjamin J. Sesay: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Swasati Handique: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 501 W. Mitchell Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060092
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 6
p. 92

Abstract

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As the population of older adults increases, there is an anticipated rise in the utilization of hospice and palliative care. Many significant advancements in technology have been used to address the unique needs of this demographic; however, an unexplored area of research is the use of robotic animals as part of end-of-life care. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the state of the literature on robotic animal use among older adults enrolled in palliative or hospice care and to offer a framework for future research. Following a guide for scoping reviews, we identified relevant studies and then charted, collated, summarized, and reported the data. Two articles were selected for final review. The results found that decreased medication use, behavior change, and emotional benefits were potential outcomes of robotic animal use in hospice and palliative care. Perceptions of the robot and ethical considerations were also discussed. Overall, the study findings point toward the potential uses of robotic animals as part of end-of-life care, however, more empirical research is critically needed.

Published in Robotics

ISSN: 2218-6581 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Mechanical engineering and machinery
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics

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Abstract

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