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Social Robotics to Address Isolation and Depression Among the Aging During and After COVID-19

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HCI International 2021 - Posters (HCII 2021)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1420))

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Abstract

COVID-19 is exacerbating isolation issues faced by older adults, which may lead to increased risk for depression and other mental health issues. Social robots are being explored for their potential to alleviate these challenges through conversational therapy, companionship, and connectedness regardless of where older adults chose to age in place—from home to long-term care facilities. This is a discussion piece with the objective of raising awareness to the topic of social isolation within older adults and current limitations in the field of social robotics. We discuss the state of the art in social robotics for aging in place and bring attention to remaining challenges for addressing isolation and mental health especially during and after COVID-19. This paper provides a discussion on critical differences between environments where older individuals age, and how designs should account for these variations. Lastly, this paper highlights the physical and mental health issues of caregivers and provides a discussion of challenges that remain toward using social robotics to assist those who take care of the aging population.

Supported by Arizona State University, the National Science Foundation, and the Zimin Institute at Arizona State University.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Arizona State University, the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 1828010), and the Zimin Institute at Arizona State University for their funding support. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC), School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering (CIDSE), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Jordan Miller

  2. The Polytechnic School (TPS), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA

    Troy McDaniel

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  1. Jordan Miller
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Correspondence to Jordan Miller .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Crete and Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Constantine Stephanidis

  2. Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Margherita Antona

  3. Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Stavroula Ntoa

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Miller, J., McDaniel, T. (2021). Social Robotics to Address Isolation and Depression Among the Aging During and After COVID-19. In: Stephanidis, C., Antona, M., Ntoa, S. (eds) HCI International 2021 - Posters. HCII 2021. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1420. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78642-7_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78642-7_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-78641-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-78642-7

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