Everyday technologies and public space participation among people with and without dementia.

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 was 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 were 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.