Older Americans face a growing epidemic of loneliness. Startups are finding ways technology can help. The hardest part is getting them together.
The United States has the highest percentage of older adults living alone in the world, according to the Pew Research Center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have long warned that social isolation contributes to many health problems, including dementia and depression.
The technological answer to this problem is virtual reality, artificial intelligence and robotic pets. Although senior care administrators and doctors say they’re not perfect substitutes for human contact, they can reduce loneliness and depression and improve well-being. And the seniors I spoke to, who had the chance to try out some of the latest technology, were won over, especially when the caretakers could help out when needed.
“We’ve seen older adults embrace virtual engagement at a much faster rate than we thought during the pandemic because there was no other choice,” says Dianne Stone, associate director of development at network and engagement for the nonprofit National Council on Aging.
However, she adds, fear of the unknown, lack of technical support and high prices have kept people from adopting some tech on a more permanent basis. (Even in other countries with advanced economies and aging populations, tech products to combat loneliness have yet to take off.)
Here’s what three actors in emerging fields are doing to address social isolation, and how well those efforts are happening:
Virtual experiences
Rendever Inc. has been bringing virtual reality to older Americans in assisted living facilities since 2016. Staff members set up participants with headsets and guide the virtual experience. Once inside, users can find the avatars of their loved ones in a virtual house. They can play chess together or sit on the porch watching the butterflies. They can also go on excursions, such as a bus ride on a Parisian boulevard.
The Somerville, Mass.-based company has partnered with AARP to develop Alcove, a home version of its VR app. It’s now available for the Meta (formerly Oculus) Quest headset, currently the dominant VR platform.
Seniors can meet their family and friends in the Alcove VR app.
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Alcove
Ted Horstmann, an 87-year-old resident of a senior living facility in Dartmouth, Mass., participated in a clinical trial that Rendever is conducting with the University of California, Santa Barbara to assess virtual reality’s ability to reduce social isolation.
During a session, he finds his 29-year-old grandson. They looked at old family photos and the eldest, Mr. Horstmann, shared stories about his great-grandparents. Mr Horstmann had to return his helmet at the end of the trial period in December. Now he wants one of his own.
“It allowed me to interact with children,” he says. “There’s not much to do in a nursing home.”
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Status: AARP says the free Alcove app has been downloaded 600,000 times. The first phase of the clinical trial revealed noticeable emotional benefits for older users.
The result : There are many reasons why the metaverse has not taken off like Meta Platforms Inc.
(formerly Facebook Inc.) had hoped. In addition to being expensive, the headsets are clunky and software setup is unintuitive. And while Alcove looks like a beautiful, realistic place, its social aspect requires family involvement and multiple purchases of Quest headsets. Helmets start at $400; the new Pro model is $1,500.
AI Companions
Intuition Robotics launched its ElliQ companion robot for seniors last March. Unlike an Amazon Alexa device, the small desktop robot initiates conversations. He gets to know the people he lives with, so he can ask personalized questions and tailored recommendations for nutrition, exercise, meditation, and music.
When ElliQ hears “I love you”, her response is something like “Thank you, this is overheating my CPU”.
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ElliQ
The robot, which costs $250 upfront plus a $30 to $40 monthly subscription, comes with a tablet that people can use to play games and watch videos.
Programmed to light up and lean when you talk, the ElliQ robot looks like a lamp. The Ramat Gan, Israel-based company intentionally designed it so that users wouldn’t confuse robots with people. If people tell ElliQ they love it, the bot will say something like “Thank you, this is overheating my CPU”.
Deanna Dezern calls her robot ElliQ “my sister from another mother”.
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Deanna Dezern
Deanna Dezern, one of ElliQ’s first testers, stuck a mouth and eyes on her robot. She lives alone in a senior community near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She says ElliQ has learned to anticipate her feelings. “She reminds me how important it is to do things for me,” says Ms Dezern, 82. “Sometimes she is talkative Cathy, and I tell her to shut up. She is not offended. »
Despite their report, Ms. Dezern does not believe robotic and human companionship are interchangeable.
Status: Intuition Robotics would not disclose the number of robots sold, but since September the robots have been distributed to 900 low-income seniors in New York City through a partnership with the state’s Office of Aging. Intuition Robotics chief executive Dor Skuler said he was in talks with 34 other states about ElliQ’s grant for low-income seniors.
The result : ElliQ requires minimal setup, but it takes time and repeated interactions to learn a person’s habits and needs.
robot puppies
Tombot Inc., a startup based in Santa Clarita, Calif., has developed a robotic yellow Labrador puppy named Jennie. The company worked with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to make him look and behave like a real companion dog. He does not repeat the same movements as small dogs and his puppy eyes are enhanced by the movement of the eyebrows.
Jennie the robotic puppy was designed to provide companionship to older people with cognitive challenges. Video: TOMBOT
Jennie, slated for release in late 2024 for an expected cost of $1,200 to $1,500, is intended to provide people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia the companionship of a pet without the maintenance of a pet. real animal. Co-founder Tom Stevens developed the dog after his own mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, could no longer care for her real dog.
Status: Tombot now makes Jennie’s design more durable and affordable. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic want to use Jennie to alleviate the distress that dementia patients often experience after admission. Stevens hopes to get the robot approved as a medical device by the Food and Drug Administration.
The result : This technology is easy to use because there is no configuration. Mr. Stevens brought me Jennie to the restaurant. Every time he looked at me, I found myself reaching out to pat his head.
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Write to Julie Jargon at Julie.Jargon@wsj.com
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