THE USE AND SATISFACTION WITH ASSISTIVE DEVICES BY OLDER PERSONS WITHCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS - A PILOT INTERVENTION STUDY

Frail older persons with cognitive impairments use fewer, and are less satisfied with, assistive devices than frail older persons who are no t cognitively impaired. This study sought reasons for device dissatisf action among older adults with cognitive impairments and assessed the impact of professional intervention on the use of satisfaction with, a nd effectiveness of assistive devices. Twenty persons with cognitive i mpairments received a comprehensive assessment, individualized interve ntions, training, and follow-up. Results indicated that devices for ph ysical impairments were more readily accepted and used than devices th at addressed cognitive impairments. However, participants were more sa tisfied with cognitive devices. User satisfaction with physical device s appeared to increase with training and support. However, dissatisfac tion with cognitive devices appeared to be more related to user limita tions than training and support. The need for early intervention for p ersons with cognitive impairments is discussed, as is the need for fur ther research on the effectiveness of assistive devices for these indi viduals.