‘Are we deliberately deceiving patients?’: The ethics of virtual reality and robot pets in dementia care
'There have been instances where the robotic pet has run out of battery and people thought they were dead', says researcher Dr Wei Qi Koh.
Could virtual reality excursions become the new bingo sessions in aged care facilities?
That’s the question Dr Wei Qi Koh (PhD) asks as she discusses the not-distant future of robotic pets and virtual reality in aged care, which studies suggest can reduce detachment and apathy for older people with cognitive illness.
But the use of these technologies raises ethical questions when patients are vulnerable and at particular risk of confusing technology with reality.
Research on robot pet technology has existed for about 30 years. Such pets are increasingly common in care facilities, even some hospitals, for patients with cognitive impairment.
