MOVE OVER SPOT

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/02/29/loneliness.dogs.robots.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
This article is about research that was conducted with a robot dog. The "dog" was introduced to Nursing Home Residents as a companion. The robot dog had much the same effect on lonliness and attachment as the live animal dog. Of course the study is not conclusive and more studies must be conducted to prove that there were not confounding factors.

My experience in the Nursing Homes and Assisted Livings is that pets are a tremendous assest in residents lives. These elderly sit in their rooms with no one to talk to and often have the feeling that no one really cares. When a pet enters the room, their faces light up. But to have a permanment pet in the facility is just more work for the over worked staff. A woman in one of the facilities in which I worked, only got out of bed to care for her cat. She was able to feed and brush the cat, but the staff had to maintain the liter box, water and make sure there was cat food in the room. On on many occassions clean up the messes the cat made throughout the facility.

This robot pet could also benefit individuals who live independently, but can not care for a pet. My mom's heart was never the same when she realized that someone would have to help her with the care of a new puppy. If she could not remain independent, she would do without the pet. This was the first time in her life that she was without a pet, and living alone, live became even more lonely.

Maybe there is a way that I can help with this worthwhile study of AT with a different spin............