DiSC programme menu » DiSC homepage | Projects | Meet the team and contact | Events | Annual Review
750 RoboPets are being used across a range of local care locations
Case studies and media releases:
Providing comfort and companionship with a robotic pet
RoboPets such as a robotic cat, dog or bird, use technology to respond to sound and touch, and interact through realistic movements. They provide a calming influence, give people greater independence and confidence, and improve mental health and wellbeing.
The robotic pets are ideal companions for the elderly, people living on their own, or anyone who is unable to have a pet of their own. By reducing loneliness and anxiety, a RoboPet can have a positive impact on wellbeing and quality of life and support people to live independently for longer.
What our care services say:
“It’s great seeing how technology can impact the lives of our residents and this is quite a really nice, quite simple way that we can make their lives a bit better. It feels good to see them so happy.” – Tom Bridle, Care and Support Manager at Camphill Milton Keynes Communities
Expressions of interest for RoboPets
Care home and domiciliary care providers across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes who work with adults living with or experiencing challenging behaviour, cognitive impairment, communication difficulty or dementia are invited to express their interest in RoboPets. Expressions of interest (EOIs) are subject to certain inclusion criteria, and will be treated on a first come, first served basis. Find out more and express your interest in RoboPets.
Resources
About the Enhanced Wellbeing Through Digital programme
This programme has been made possible following BLMK’s Digitising Social Care team successfully securing £1.1 million of funding from NHS England’s Adult Social Care Technology Fund. It will be delivered in partnership with Health Innovation East and the University of Hertfordshire.
The rate of dementia diagnosis in BLMK is higher than the national average and the condition is associated with increased hospital stays, mental health issues, undiagnosed pain, behavioural challenges, and increased safeguarding risks. This programme will offer technology to support adults to live independently, reduce avoidable hospital admissions / re-admissions, and improve care quality and safety.
The funding will be used to implement two new innovations (PainChek and RoboPets) which can be used by care home and domiciliary care staff who work with adults living with or experiencing behaviour that challenges, cognitive impairment, communication difficulty or dementia in a variety of care settings. Read more about this funding.
A team of researchers (supported by the Applied Research Collaboration East of England and the Office of Health Economics) will evaluate the acceptability, usability, cost-effectiveness and impacts as the schemes are implemented and adopted – to inform the development of an evidence-based plan for scale and spread across BLMK ICS.
For more information, please email the team.