Persons with cognitive impairment are likely to have decreased ability to manage everyday technology. Since their decreased ability can have disabling consequences, ability to manage technology is important to consider when assessing ability to perform everyday activities.

Rationale Since health care is facing challenges, with fewer caregivers providing care to more clients, eHealth plays a crucial role. Through eHealth, people are expected to be more involved in their own care. On the part of health care users, eHealth requires use of everyday technology such as telephones and computers, and services through the Internet which might be challenging for older adults with cognitive impairment. Aim To investigate experiences of using eHealth in contact with health care among older adults with cognitive impairment. Method Individual, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nine participants, aged 65–84 years, with cognitive impairments of varying origins. A constructivist Grounded Theory approach was used. Data collection and analysis were performed simultaneously using a constant comparative method. Ethical issues Ethical approval (Dnr: 2014/906‐32) was obtained from the regional ethical committee, Stockholm. Results The core category, the eHealth staircase supported by habits, is presented as a model that visualises the result. The model includes three steps showing different ways of being in contact with health care through the use of technological devices and services that mirrors different levels of complexity of eHealth use as follows: (i) Analogue use, (ii) One‐way‐use and (iii) Interactive use. The participants’ location on the eHealth staircase was affected by several aspects described in three categories united by habits; A stable relationship with technology: a prerequisite for use; The importance of interpersonal relationships within health care and Being supported by significant others: a prerequisite in contact with health care. Conclusions Older adults with cognitive impairments seemed to prefer common and less complex eHealth when contacting health care. Therefore, it is necessary that health care providers offer different possibilities for patients to contact them, that is, both through the Internet and by personal telephone service.

Title: Psychometric evaluation of a new assessment of the ability to manage technology in everyday life. AbstractTechnology increasingly influences the everyday lives of most people, and the ability to manage technology can be seen as a prerequisite for participation in everyday occupations.However, knowledge about ability and skills required for management of technology is sparse. This study aimed to validate a new observation-based assessment, the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment (META). The META is developed to assess the ability to manage technology in everyday life. A sample of 116 older adults with and without cognitive impairment were observed and interviewed by the use of the META when managing their everyday technology at home. The results indicate that the META demonstrates acceptable person response validity and technology goodness-of-fit. Additionally, the META can separate individuals with higher ability from individuals with lower ability to manage everyday technology. The META can be seen as a complement to existing ADL assessment techniques and is planned to be used both in research and practice.

Background. Occupational therapists support Everyday Technology use however it is necessary to consider the challenges that people with dementia encounter with Everyday Technologies when participating in various places within public space. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to explore stability and change in participation in places visited within public space, in relation to the relevance of Everyday Technologies used within public space. Method. People with dementia (n=35) and people with no known cognitive impairment (n=34) were interviewed using the Participation in ACTivities and Places OUTside Home Questionnaire and the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire. Data analysis used modern and classical test theory. Findings. Both samples participated in places within public space however participation and relevance of Everyday Technologies was significantly lower for the dementia group. Implications. To enable participation, occupational therapists need to be aware of challenges that technologies and places within public space present to people with dementia.

Introduction: Knowledge is lacking of how technological development has affected occupational engagement and performance. Changes in the environment, for example, new technology, are likely to create changes in the dynamics of occupations and exploring this among older adults is especially important. This study aimed to explore what can drive and hinder the incorporation of everyday technology into occupations and how new technology affects occupational engagement and performance among older adults. Method: A constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied. Data were collected by individual interviews with six women and five men between the ages of 67 and 92 years old. Participants also varied as regards their cognitive function and living conditions. Results: The findings concerned the match between technology and the participants' perceptions of occupational purposes, needs of control and safety, and the kind of technology user they strived to be. A good match was a driving force for technology usage and satisfaction with the altered occupations and vice versa. Conclusion: Occupational engagement and performance in relation to technology use can be facilitated, which is useful knowledge for stakeholders developing and implementing new technology, as well as those who encounter older adults with the needs or desire to use technology in their daily occupations.