Hasbro’s “Joy For All” Companion Pets: Could They Be A Vital Tool for Boosting Morale In Nursing Homes?

Hasbro has created a new brand of product entitled Companion Pets that are designed for purchase and utilization by elderly individuals. On the Companion Pets website you are presented with two options; you can either purchase a Companion Cat or a Companion Dog (The Companion Cat comes in multiple colors). These “pets” are actually robotic animals complete with fur as well as the abilities to move, fall asleep, roll over and make noises. They have been used in therapy settings to comfort dementia patients and given as presents to aging friends or parents that are in need of companionship but cannot take care of an actual animal. Additionally, these Companion Pets are commonly used by nursing homes to bring joy to their residents and calm them down should they become agitated. In some cases, Companion Pets have calmed nursing home residents down from a panic and prevented staff from being forced to utilize a tranquilizing agent on them. These robotic animals are battery operated, but can complete realistic movements that an actual cat or dog would and even make animal sounds. These pets will even fall asleep after a few minutes of an individual not petting them or giving them attention, only to wake back up as soon as they are touched or held. If a nursing home or assisted living facility does not allow pets or, at the very least, has strict rules regarding them, this may be an option for an elderly individual who lives alone in a place such as this and lacks companionship.