Perspectives of Older Adults and Their Caregivers on the Development of a Robotic Exercise Coach

Abstract

Purpose Physical activity through exercise helps to delay, prevent, or reverse functional decline in older adults (Bean et al., 2004). Recently, various technologies, including assistive robot coaches, have been developed to engage older adults in physical activities (Avioz-Sarig et al., 2021). Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding regarding the specific needs, preferences, and potential barriers faced by older adults and their caregivers when interacting with this technology (Fasola and Mataric, 2012). This study is part of the interdisciplinary AI@WZC project, aimed at developing an AI-driven robotic exercise coach for older adults living in a residential care home. We aim to acquire insights from residents and their caregivers to inform the design of this robotic coach. Method We organized two semi-structured focus group discussions with respectively five and four care home residents (age: 70-90 years old; gender: three females for session 1 and two females for session 2, two males; MMSE: 18-30) and two caregivers (one physical therapist, one nurse), adhering to the participatory design principles of the PERCEPT methodology (Bourazeri and Stumpf, 2018). The first workshop focused on co-creating personas for two caregivers and a care home resident, gaining insights into their technology use, physical challenges, and daily activities. The second workshop addressed the most promising physical exercises and the functionalities the robot should have to facilitate the exercise program, with emphasis on the information that the robot should provide to older adults and caregivers. Results and Discussion We identified two key user requirements based on the data collected during the two sessions. (1) The robotic coach needs to serve as an assessment tool, allowing caregivers to monitor functional decline and ensure the safety of exercise regimens. (2) It needs to enable personalization of exercise regimens according to individual preferences and physical limitations of care home residents, therefore allowing them to maintain agency regarding their exercise routines. At the same time, interaction between the robot and residents should be minimal, with a focus on functional feedback during exercises. In conclusion, this approach and the findings from this study can inspire and guide future researchers in developing assistive physical exercise technologies for use in residential care homes.