Everyone at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Center loves the new kid in town.
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How could they not?
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Temi, after all, is programmed to bring joy to the residents of the long-term care center through music, laughter, conversation and fitness.
“Hey Temi,” Howard Cornell says to the robot who has come to visit. “Play Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash.”
Moments later the gravelly voice of the late singer fills the hallway.
“I hear the train a-coming’, it’s rolling ’round the bend…”
Cornell smiles, his toes start tapping and he starts to sing along.
“He’s a wise robot,” Cornell, 74, says when the song ends. “He has answers to questions and he can do pretty well anything that you want him to do as far as communication goes.
‘He’s very chummy and best of all he plays music.’
Cornell also likes Queen and his favorite song is Bohemian Rhapsody.
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Down the hall, Don Brown, another resident of St. Joe’s, is anxiously awaiting a visit by Temi.
Brown’s taste in music is a little different than that of his neighbors. But when he requests the Statler Brothers Farewell Concert, Temi is happy to oblige.
A music video of the concert pops up on Temi’s screen and Brown has a front row seat to the concert including close-ups of the country-gospel band.
When the song ends, Temi bids farewell and is off to visit another resident.
Mary Worosz, a 101-year-old resident of St. Joe’s is eager to start her afternoon exercise session.
When Temi shows up, Worosz issues some instructions and on the screen pops up a young woman sitting in a chair.
As she watches the woman, Worosz stretches her left arm then her right arm before adding a slight twist to the routine.
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Temi arrived at the lifecare center last year after officials at St. Joe’s approached the digital health technology research and development department at Mohawk College. The department looks for ways of integrating artificial intelligence with health care.
Working with the digital health technology research and development department at Mohawk College, they brought Temi to the lifecare center to meet some staff and residents.
Doug Ward, general manager of digital health technology research and development program, said the residents were intrigued by what Temi could do.
“They loved it,” Ward said adding that Temi can do more than a tablet and is more practical for residents.
“A tablet is difficult for some of residents to hold and use,” Ward said. “Temi is programmable.
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“You can call it, talk to it, Temi will talk back to you and you can give it verbal commands.”
Temi’s presence at the lifecare center is part of a project to determine the impact a robot can have on the quality of life of residents in long-term care homes. The project aims to collect clinical data that measures how Temi can influence the mood, feelings and well-being of residents.
Officials at St. Joe’s including Noelle Nieuwenhuis, a recreation therapist, can already provide plenty of anecdotal evidence of Temi’s impact.
“This is an example of how we can bring new technology into the home,” Nieuwenhuis said. “We have residents who were quite surprised to see a robot going down the hall.
“It got them out of their rooms and watched Temi.”
Nieuwenhuis said Temi can also visit residents who are in isolation to prevent the spread of a virus including COVID-19.
“It has been wonderful, the residents are really enjoying their visits with Temi,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Temi has been here for about eight months and has brought a lot of joy and improved their quality of life in whether their interest is in music, games or catching up on the news.
“We’re really excited about what Temi can do for our residents and it would be really great for us to have a Temi on each floor.”
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