O2–12–05: Acceptance of social assistive robots to support older adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers

Social assistive robots (SAR) are systems that provide assistance by means of social interaction. Their use to support autonomy, healthcare, and social participation of individuals with MCI or Alzheimer's disease, and caregivers on their tasks, is a growing research field. Successful SAR design and implementation depends on the understanding of user needs and factors influencing technology acceptance. However, little is known about how caregivers and care-recipients perspectives on SAR converge or diverge. This mixed-method study investigated perceived usefulness and acceptance of SAR for domestic use in these populations with a particular interest in the influence of individual factors on users opinions. Twenty-five individuals (M = 72,6 years): Alzheimer's disease caregivers, persons with MCI, and healthy older adults, participated in seven focus groups. Topics discussed included SAR technical and physical features, user characteristics, and societal and ethical issues linked to SAR use. Material support comprised a questionnaire (socio-demographic, health and technology factors), a robot prototype and use-case scenarios (pictures and videos). Qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the discussions transcripts was carried out. Caregivers and people with MCI had a higher perceived usefulness and acceptance of the system than healthy elderly individuals. Participants in the three groups were more likely to accept to use SAR in the future than at the present time (Figure 1). A key theme that emerged in the discussions was the importance of personalizing SAR services, appearance, and social capabilities. Also, cognitive support, opportunities for social interaction, and safety monitoring at home were identified as the most useful services for SAR. Mismatch between needs and solutions offered by SAR, usability issues, and lack of technology experience technology were seen as the most important barriers for SAR adoption.