Changes in the technological landscape over time: Relevance and difficulty levels of everyday technologies as perceived by older adults with and without cognitive impairment

Subtitle:

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Malinowsky, Camilla^a | Kottorp, Anders^{a; b; c} | Patomella, Ann-Helen^{a; d} | Rosenberg, Lena^a | Nygård, Louise^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden | [b] Department of Occupational Therapy, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland | [c] Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [d] Faculty of Health Science, School of Occupational Therapy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Louise Nygård, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, 23200, Division of Occupational Therapy, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. Tel.: +46 8 524 837 92; E-mail:louise.nygard@ki.se

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Everyday technology, ET (e.g. computers, TV's and vending machines) perceived as relevant and used in everyday activities change continuously. Not being able to keep up with these changes may hinder participation in activities. OBJECTIVE: To investigate stability and change in perceived relevance of ET, and in levels of perceived ET difficulty across two different occasions in time and between two similar samples of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. METHODS: Data of perceived relevance and difficulty in ET use in the samples (n= 157/118), collected with the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ) was investigated. RESULTS: Thirty-three (70%) of the ETs in the ETUQ significantly increased in relevance, while the perceived levels of difficulty were statistically similar in 40/47 ETs (85%) across the two time occasions. CONCLUSIONS: The perceived relevance of ET among older adults with and without cognitive impairment was indicated to increase over time, but the levels of perceived levels of difficulty of ETs did not change as much. This knowledge could be used to support and facilitate ET use in the aging population, and in general to influence society's view of older people as active users of ET in activities at home and in public spaces.

Keywords: Dementia, mild cognitive impairment, ADL, IADL, technology

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-150431

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 91-101, 2015