(JP)Therapists turn to toy animals

[Guest guest]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20031028b7.htm

 

Therapists turn to toy animals

Fluffy robots' healing effects on patients, aged

touted

 

SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) Takayuki Kumasaka of the University

of Shizuoka is a leading proponent of the use of toy

animals in " animal therapy " to produce healing effects

in patients in hospitals and residents of nursing

homes.

 

The theory is that even toy animals can help relieve

patients undergoing treatment or in recuperation from

worries about their maladies, leading hospitals and

health facilities to adopt the therapy.

 

Kumasaka, an assistant professor specializing in care

of adults and the elderly in the university's nursing

school, said Japan still depends on volunteers to

provide care for those in need.

 

He devotes much of his time doing research for wider

introduction of animal therapy by trying out robots

and toys for the welfare of the elderly.

 

Kumasaka is particular about utilizing robots and

toys, because real animals can carry infectious

diseases or cause injury or accidents.

 

In the course of carrying out his research, he

introduced a robotic seal named Palo to the pediatrics

ward of Tsukuba University hospital three years ago

and confirmed its soothing effect on hospitalized

children.

 

He conducted animal therapy in late August to find a

similar result on the elderly using a 5,900 yen

" welfare toy " dubbed Otomodachikku Wanchan (Friendly

Dog).

 

" Children were able to gain healing effects from the

robot, which looked a bit like the Aibo robot, " he

said, referring to Sony Corp.'s robot dog.

 

Wanchan is a puppy toy operated by dry cell batteries.

It is soft to the touch, easy to manipulate and rich

in expressions.

 

It has an optical sensor in its nose and when a person

approaches, it says " bow wow " while wagging its tail

and cocking its head.

 

When it hears the person say " hand, " it extends its

paw. It sings in " dog language " when asked to sing a

song.

 

Kumasaka put six Wanchan toys in the lobby and locker

room of a dialysis treatment facility in Shizuoka

Prefecture as part of a test for his animal therapy.

 

Taking part in the therapy were 19 outpatients --

eight men and 11 women -- ranging in age from their

60s to 80s.

 

Using a 20-step method as a yardstick to gauge the

patients' state of mind through their facial

expressions, ranging from smiles to tears, Kumasaka

checked Wanchan's effects on them.

 

A grading of 11 to 10 was given to those feeling

normal, 20 to those feeling the most depressed and 1

to those feeling the best.

 

Two patients were showing the 20 rating before the toy

dogs were brought in.

 

The average grading of all those participating was

9.95 before the experiment.

 

Many said they were often in the dumps because they

can never stop the dialysis and they were " in bad

condition many times. "

 

They said on the day Wanchan toys were placed in the

facility that they felt " good, " that the toy dogs were

" cute " and that " it would be good if they could have

them at home. "

 

The average reading went up to 5.5, showing the

improvement in their feelings.

 

After nine sessions, nine patients registered a 1

rating, raising the average to 3.3.

 

The patients' reaction also changed, with many saying

they became " oblivious " to their sickness, felt at

ease stroking Wanchan's head and experienced a

" healing effect. "

 

" I think I was able to confirm that even toys can do

this (have soothing effects on patients), " Kumasaka

said. " They have all begun showing bright

expressions. "

 

In a related experiment, a health center for the

elderly in Aichi Prefecture used a real beagle to find

out if it had any healing effect on 10 women.

 

Using the same scale, their state of mind was 9.9 on

average before the therapy but shot up to 1.7 during

the test, according to Kumasaka.

 

" I thought the power of a live animal was great after

all, " Kumasaka said.

 

A live animal can be used for animal therapy with the

approval of a veterinarian. Insurance against injuries

with a daily premium of 2,000 yen was taken out before

the beagle came to the facility. The insurance

guaranteed a maximum of 10 million yen in

compensation.

 

Kumasaka said he ultimately hopes to introduce toys as

substitutes for live animals in hospital wards caring

for cancer patients as a means to relieve their pain.

 

The Japan Times: Oct. 28, 2003

© All rights reserved

 

 

 

 

 

The New with improved product search