Therapy robots in hospitals and palliative care
PARO and robotic companion animals on hospital wards and in palliative care: where they are used, what the research covers and how wards buy them.
Most published research on therapy robots comes from residential aged care. Hospital and palliative care teams use them as well, often for older patients living with dementia who are unsettled in an unfamiliar ward, and for patients near the end of life who respond to something soft to hold.
What the research covers
In the largest Australian trial, run in 28 Queensland aged care facilities, video observation showed less agitation with PARO than with usual care, along with better engagement. That trial was in residential care. The studies summarised on this site did not measure hospital or palliative outcomes, so a ward program rests on clinical judgement and on watching how each patient responds. Details are in the Queensland trial summary.
Where wards use them
| Setting | Typical use | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Aged care or geriatric ward | Settling patients living with dementia | Shared use, cleaning between patients |
| Palliative care unit or hospice | Something to hold and stroke, for patients and visiting family | Patient preference, family agreement |
| Donor-funded ward equipment | A unit bought for one ward by a foundation | Ownership, repairs, eventual replacement |
Buying for a hospital
Hospitals usually buy through procurement, with sign-off from infection prevention and control. Ask the distributor for the maker’s written cleaning instructions early, because infection control review can take longer than the purchase itself. The infection control checklist lists the questions to settle.
A PARO unit is listed in Australia from $6,500. Distributors quote each hospital, and the quote is the figure to use in a business case.
Funding from foundations
Charities and hospital foundations have paid for companion robots for patients. Brighter Lives, for example, funded robotic dogs for hospital patients. The foundation funding page covers what a funder usually asks for.
Sending an enquiry
Tell us the hospital, the ward type and the number of units. We pass the enquiry to a distributor, who quotes the hospital directly.