The overall aim of this thesis was to expand the knowledge base for a better understanding of how
persons diagnosed with dementia or stroke become users of assistive technology for cognitive support in
everyday life.
In Study I, identified difficulties in everyday life related to cognition were matched with a specific type
of modifiable context-aware assistive technology with the aim of identifying what types of tasks the
assistive technology could support. The findings showed that the assistive technology in focus was judged
to be able to initiate the performance of specific tasks and to inform about upcoming events, to support
the completion of an already initiated task or to remind the user in a specific location or after specific
actions. It was judged as less supportive in the area of communication, handling electronics and doing
more complex activities with many steps.
In Study II, four persons who had experienced a stroke had one type of modifiable context-aware
assistive technology, with individual customisations, installed in their homes for a six-month period. The
participants were interviewed with the aim of examining how the assistive technology influenced their
everyday lives. The findings showed how routines developed with support from the assistive technology
influenced the participants towards increased control of their everyday life, created daily structure and
supported them in regaining social contacts. The spouses cooperated in the use of the assistive technology
and were alleviated from responsibilities to some extent.
In Study III, ten persons, who had an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, were followed on their way
towards becoming users of assistive technology which was individually chosen to match their needs,
desires and goals. The participants were interviewed to acquire descriptions of how they become users of
the assistive technology and to examine how they experienced the use of the assistive technology. Four
significant junctures were identified at which decisions influencing whether the person became a user of
the assistive technology or not were made. The junctures were related to how the initial decision was
made, how routines were adjusted to the assistive technology, whether the users trusted the assistive
technology and whether the participants felt an increased sense of capacity when using it. As users, the
participants perceived how time and effort were saved, how worries and stress decreased and how their
sense of safety increased, which enabled them to perform their valued activities.
In Study IV, experiences from the assistive technology interventions presented in the previous studies
were examined with the aim of identifying features in the assistive technology that affected the usability
and usefulness of it. The findings identified eight themes, including features that promoted or impeded the task performance
and goal achievement, that is, the usability and usefulness of the assistive technology. They were related
to the use during task performance, the preparation and customisation of the assistive technology, and the
impact of faulty assistive technology.
The findings in the thesis provide new knowledge about how a person, who experiences cognitive
impairments due to a stroke or a dementia disease in the early stage, becomes a user of assistive
technology. These findings can be of use in the provision of assistive technology for cognitive support
and for future research.
It was apparent that to become a user of the assistive technology, it was of great importance that the task
intended to be supported by the assistive technology is connected to a valued goal that the potential user
has a desire to achieve, and moreover that the assistive technology can enable the person to achieve that
goal, not only to perform the task in target.
In the findings, for some persons to become users of assistive technology the significant others were
identified as being of great importance. Features in the assistive technology that promote usability and
usefulness were identified. The usefulness of the assistive technology was shown to be closely related to
the matter of trust and sense of safety. The findings implied the importance of having a user-centred
perspective, also concerning the social and physical context, when planning for the provision of assistive
technology to the potential user
