Robotic Pets Help Seniors Feel Less Lonely During Isolation

Robotic pets are helping seniors in lockdown combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, reports WINK News . Such pets are finding use at senior communities, including those operated by the Florida-based Naples Senior Center. "The over 1,400 people we serve who come to us to combat isolation and loneliness are now forced to stay at home," said Naples Senior Center CEO Jaclynn Faffer. The community is connecting residents with robotic dogs and cats. "Particularly among seniors, having something to care for, something to interact with, is very positive," said Faffer. According to Lisa Wiese with Florida Atlantic University, studies showed that electronic pets have a beneficial effect on seniors with dementia. "All of our participants' moods significantly improved, their depression scores decreased, their agitation decreased, and we even have 50 percent of them increase in their cognitive assessment scores — which is really something," she noted.