Use of assistive devices - a reality full of contradictions in elderly persons' everyday life

Purpose. The aim was to explore very old persons' use and experience of assistive devices in daily occupations and changes over a ten-year period. Method. This study focuses on 86-year olds (n = 201) and following a retrospective longitudinal design, reviews their situation at the age of 76 (n = 199). Data were collected by structured and open-ended interviews during home visits and subjected to statistical and content analysis. Results. A significantly higher proportion (69%) used assistive devices at the age of 86 than at age 76 (43%). During the interval about one third became new users, 35% were permanent users and 23% did not use assistive devices at all. Among those being dependent on personal help in ADL a higher proportion were users of assistive devices (81%) than among those being independent (55%) (p = 0.00013). The result regarding the usefulness, reason for use and experience of using assistive devices showed that very old persons' perspectives on personal, practical and social aspects varied greatly and were often contradictory. Conclusions. An assistive device is generally regarded as an enabler in daily occupation, but it can also become a ` disabler'. There is a need for a deeper and broader understanding of these ambivalent perspectives and an ethical discussion of subtle factors that might influence the use and experience of assistive devices.