Robots May Soon Help In Caring For Dementia Patients

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Using robots to help provide support for dementia patients is no longer a distant possibility with the invention of a humanoid personal care assistant that would revolutionize therapy for those suffering the disorder.

Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University recently unveiled Nadine, a robot designed to take the form and mimic actions of humans to act as a care provider or personal assistant for the elderly- particularly those suffering from dementia.

Nadia Thalmann, the director for the university’s Institute for Media Innovation and a visiting professor, said that they have spent some 30 years doing research on virtual humans and, as a result, have made a breakthrough with the development of Nadine.

The 1.7 meter tall Nadine was developed in the likeness of Thalmann and designed to recognize people, display emotions and respond to questions and although Nadine is just a prototype and is still not commercially available, the concept is going to be a milestone in helping provide support to patients and the elderly.

Thalmann pointed out that people diagnosed with dementia need more personal attention and care, where oftentimes human factors also affect a care provider’s patience and emotional well-being.

With intelligent robots taking that role, it may be able to work wonders for therapy treatment of these patients.

Dementia is often a common risk affecting many elderly people and although age is a risk factor, there are also several controllable factors that increase the risk for people to be affected by it.

• Excessive alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that heavy drinking can greatly increase the risk of acquiring dementia. The effects of alcohol causing intoxication that sends signals to the brain is one of the major reasons why. Although there have been findings that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol can be helpful for the brain, abusing it reverses the impacts.
• Atherosclerosis and bad cholesterol. Fat buildup on the artery walls restricts blood flow to the brain that results to vascular dementia which also leads to stroke.
• Smoking. This can also be another cause for dementia, as it causes irregular blood circulation to the brain.
• Narcotics and substance abuse. Dementia is often the result of narcotics or substance abuse, with great potential to damage the brain. Studies have shown that there are a lot of negative effects of narcotics compared to its benefits, especially caused by its hallucinogenic properties that have a direct impact on the brain. 
• Depression. If left untreated and without proper therapy, it could progress to dementia.
• Increased hormonal levels. An increase in estrogen or progesterone levels among women after going through menopause stand a greater risk of developing dementia later in life.

With the potential high incidences of dementia in society, we may subscribe to the idea that robots may one day care dementia patients.

Image Credit: Now you’re talking: human-like robot may one day care for dementia patients – Reuters

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