Table 1.

Advantages of Telepresence Robot over Telephone.

Telepresence robot	Telephone
No need for staff members to schedule calls	Need for staff members to schedule calls, adding to workload
No need for resident to own phone	Resident needs to own phone or use staff member’s phone (creating conflict)
Activated by family member without resident needing to do anything to pick up call	Unless staff member has time to bring phone to resident, resident must have cognitive skills to recognize ringtone, mobility, and motor skills to physically look for and pick up the phone and press the right buttons correctly to respond to call
No need for resident to hold anything	Resident must have manual dexterity to hold phone at appropriate angle for relatively long periods of time
Large iPad screen makes it easy for family member and resident to see each other in their environments, thereby facilitating virtual visits	Small screen (mobile) or no screen (landline) makes it difficult for resident to see
Can be positioned remotely by family member (adjusting height, volume, and proximity) to ensure full visibility	Staff member needs be close to resident for the duration of the call to ensure resident does not accidentally re-position or drop the phone, or freeze the screen, thereby adding to workload
Privacy can be maintained between resident and family	Need for staff member’s assistance compromises resident-family privacy
No limit on number or length of virtual visits (calls)	Number and length of calls may be limited by staff workload/availability
Offers greater, sustained opportunity for family to observe changes in resident’s mood and behavior	Family remains reliant on resident’s ability and willingness to self-report mood and behavior
Can facilitate synchronous action and interactivity (e.g., exercising or eating together)	Can only facilitate conversation due to the need to hold phone; conversational turn-taking is often cognitively difficult for people with advanced dementia
Offers enhanced sense of presence and immersion in environment (visit)	Offers relatively limited chance to talk and listen (call)