Digital or analogue communication supports - does it matter?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Digital tools are becoming more commonly used by older adults in daily life as well as in residential care to facilitate group activities. There is, however, limited research exploring how the participants orient to the tools and whether the choice of material affects the interaction between the participants. This study investigates the use of analogue and digital communication tools in group activities with older adults aged 70–90 with and without dementia in residential care. Interactions during group activities, in which analogue and digital pictures were used to stimulate conversations, were analyzed to identify differences and similarities in how the two different tools are used, as well as any potential differences between how the two groups (persons with and without dementia) orient to the materials. The analysis shows that the use of a communication supporting tool, be it analogue or digital, promotes conversations. However, the digital condition seems to afford shared focus around the device. The results also reveal that the two participating groups orient toward the material objects in a similar fashion. Thus, the choice of material objects used in group activities has consequences for the interaction and should be taken into account when planning for group activities involving persons with and without dementia.