Local health agencies and fire departments in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties are rolling out an artificial intelligence device that could help ease loneliness in aging residents, help with health routines and potentially reduce strain on emergency systems.

Michelle Fogus, contract specialist with the Olympic Area Agency on Aging (O3A), said the agency is launching a pilot program in which 20 smart devices, called ElliQ, will be delivered to seniors in the two counties. Fogus said she hopes to get about half of the participants enrolled in the program by late February or March.

The ElliQ roll out is part of an O3A initiative to help older adults “age in place” by providing a safe and healthy home environment. Fogus said the devices will be available to qualifying members of the community, not just current O3A candidates.

In January, a representative from Intuition Robotics, the company that created the ElliQ devices, gave a presentation in Grays Harbor about the capabilities of the device. In attendance were several local health officials and city leaders.

The device, a small, stationary artificial intelligence robot, can initiate conversation, provide medication reminders, instruct physical exercise routines and make non-emergency calls, among other things. According to Adam Seri-Levi, the Intuition representative, the device has the ability to remember facts and events, meaning the robot “gets to know you,” acting as a companion rather than an assistant.

“Throughout her conversation with you, she’s (ElliQ) going to pick up on things you like and things you don’t like based on what you tell her,” Seri-Levi said.

The robot speaks with a human-like female voice, and can occasionally crack a joke. Seri-Levi said programmers recently changed the device’s tone of voice to make it more personable and less robotic. In addition, the robot’s “head” — a half-capsule shaped bulb with an illuminated ring that indicates attentiveness — will lift or tilt to face whomever it speaks to in conversation. Each device is paired with a tablet-like screen for controlling the robot, and for video chatting with other people.

Those attributes, Fogus said, make the device ideal for older adults who live in isolation. Loneliness caused by that isolation can cause older adults to call emergency lines during non-emergency situations, adding call volume for already-slammed fire and police departments.

With ElliQ’s companionship and ability to make non-emergency calls, Fogus said, older adults might not feel compelled to call 911 during a non-emergency.

“Using these kinds of devices for additional support will help people age in place longer and more safely, and hopefully reduce that strain on EMS and healthcare systems,” Fogus said.

According to 2019 data from the Washington State Department of Health and Age-Friendly Public Health Systems, 43% of emergency room visits from people 65 and older in Grays Harbor County were “potentially avoidable,” either through preventative care or because the cause of the visit was not an emergency.

Preventative care could mean taking routine medication. Medication reminders are another important aspect of ElliQ, Fogus said.

In the event of an emergency, people should still call 911, said Mitch Housden, firefighter and community risk reduction specialist with the Aberdeen Fire Department. Housden said he has coordinated with O3A and is currently looking to identify people in the community who might benefit from ElliQ. Fogus said she’s also talked with officials from the Ocean Shores Fire Department about the device.

The robot will be particularly useful as a safety net for elderly adults who fall in their homes, according to Lani Karvia, public education coordinator for Pacific County Fire District 1. Karvia, who is working to connect people with O3A’s pilot program, said she started using assistive technology in people’s homes after one woman fell and couldn’t reach a computer for three days. With ElliQ, people who fall can call for help through the device without getting up.

“My hope is that it will ease the possibility of somebody being down on the ground for a long time or passing away from just that,” Karvia said.

The robot could not only help assist someone who has recently fallen, but help with fall prevention and recovery as well. When someone experiences a fall, Karvia said, they are likely to become more sedentary, which in turn increases their fall risk. That’s where the exercise aspect of ElliQ will come in handy, Karvia said.

“If they can exercise and have confidence they will be helped (if they fall), I think that would make it a lot better for them and just be able to ease their mind a little bit,” Karvia said.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, fall-related incidents are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death among people over 65 in the U.S.

The robot roll out comes at a time when human caregivers are few and old people are many. Fogus said the caregiver shortage was exacerbated by the pandemic, which also isolated older people. In rural areas, such as on the coast, caregivers are even fewer, and “there’s no indication that caregiver shortage is going to improve,” Fogus said.

Caregivers provide hands-on care that ElliQ can’t, such as bathing and dressing, but Karvia said the device can supplement those services.

“I don’t think AI can replace human contact, but in a busy life, waiting for a week or two to see somebody, this is what’s going to fill the gap,” Karvia said.

The number of people 85 and older will more than double by the year 2040 in both Grays Harbor and Pacific counties, according to the state Department of Health. The number of people with chronic health conditions in that age category is projected to grow by a quarter in the same time span.

Fogus said most of the funding for the roll out will come from American Rescue Plan Act funding, as well as grants from Grays Harbor Community Foundation and the South Pacific County Community Foundation.

People interested in enrolling in or recommending someone for O3A’s ElliQ pilot program can contact Michelle Fogus at 360-580-6001 or michelle.fogus@dshs.wa.gov.

Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.com.