Robotic dogs and cats provide 'pet' therapy for seniors at Uniondale facility

A Nassau County extended care facility has enlisted the help of some unusual furry companions to combat the loneliness that seniors can experience. 

Studies show pets positively affect human health — including animatronic ones. The pets, which the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility plans to distribute to 80 residents later this month, are robotic cats and dogs that cock their heads, meow and bark, and lift their legs to indicate they would like attention.

Organizations nationwide have deployed the powerful tools to improve quality of life for seniors, including in New York, where the state aging office has distributed thousands of animatronic companions. 

“Pets are good for everybody, especially our residents who are more lonely or who are depressed,” said facility medical director Dr. Javida Rizvon. “It will have a great impact on their lives psychologically, socially [and] mentally.” 

The Nassau County Office for the Aging donated the robots to the center in January to soothe and comfort residents. Loneliness and isolation pose a serious health risk to older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The facility has about 500 residents and will prioritize giving the pets to patients with dementia or mental health conditions, said Esther Kim, the therapeutic recreation department director. The Uniondale center brought live therapy dogs to the facility before the pandemic — a huge hit among residents, who lit up with joy, Kim said. She expects a similar reaction to these lifelike pets. 

“It’s going to be a great tool,” she said. “It’s going to comfort and give stimulation to the residents.”

The robot pets, outfitted with touch sensors and heartbeat simulators, react similarly to their real-life models. They whine when they want attention. The dog sticks out its tongue as if it is panting and wags its tail when happy. The cat curls up and purrs or stretches out when it would like a belly rub. 

Dr. Ira Yenko, a geropsychologist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, said robotic pets for seniors “show a great deal of promise of enhancing their socialization.” Although the pets aren’t real, the bond with them is. Yenko said a previous patient spoke to her robot pet throughout the day like one might do with a “real” pet. 

“I think it’s lovely to see folks interact with them and regard them similar to living animals,” he said. “I think that’s a beautiful thing. It speaks to our humanity.” 

The animatronic pets have been successful for clients at the Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center in Westbury, where they are used in group settings and also given to clients to take home. Executive director Tori Cohen estimates the center has distributed 150 pets — and counting. 

The pets give the center’s clients a chance to be a caregiver, which can be fulfilling and instill a sense of purpose, said Melissa Katz, the center's programs and services senior director. The critters also trigger memories related to former pets. 

“It’s sort of like an extension of pet therapy,” Katz said. “It’s very special for them.”

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.