Loneliness
Conditions
Interventions
Intervention group :In addition to the home care services, each participant will be given a social robot KaKa to be placed in their home for 8 weeks (to be operated 24 hours a day and 7days/week).
Control group :Will maintain the home care services
Sponsors
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
60 Years to 100 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1) ethnic Chinese aged 60 years or above; 2) living alone or with an older spouse at home and receiving home care services); 3) with moderate or severe loneliness [score of 3-6 on the Chinese De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale]; 4) cognitively intact [score of ?2 on the 5-item Abbreviated Memory Inventory for the Chinese (AMIC]; 5) able to command a robot by voice and use a hand to operate it on a surface pro.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1) those with diagnosis of a major neurocognitive disorder; 2) a history of symptomatic stroke or other disease of the central nervous system; 3) a serious medical or psychiatric illness (e.g., severe depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder) or unremitting visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with using a robot; 4) have limited access to electricity and/or no Wi-Fi at home (as these are not favourable conditions for the use of technology).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Loneliness ; | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Visuo-motor function;Psychological distress;Quality of life; | — |
Countries
China
Contacts
Public ContactYan Zhao
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Outcome results
None listed