Tech and me  

Middleton, P. (2025) ‘Tech and me’, Journal of Dementia Care, 33(6) p. 17

Peter Middleton describes how technology enables him to live well with dementia. 

Author Details

Peter Middleton is a passionate advocate, blogger, and volunteer living with young-onset dementia. Diagnosed in 2018, he turned his experience into a mission to raise awareness, support research, and challenge stigma. A former RAF Aircraft Engineer, IT consultant, and Police Community Support Officer, Peter now shares his insights through his blog Living with Dementia. 

He’s active in national initiatives such as the Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Voice, and was honoured as a Coronation Champion in 2023. Whether writing, volunteering, or leading workshops, Peter inspires others to live positively and proves that life with dementia can still be meaningful and full of purpose. 

Living with dementia presents many challenges. Memory, organisation, and communication can all be affected in ways that disrupt daily life. Yet in today’s world, technology provides powerful tools that can help restore independence, reduce isolation, and strengthen the dementia community. For someone like me, with a background in computing and engineering, technology is more than an interest. It is a lifeline, enabling me to live well and to share knowledge that benefits others on the same path. 

Gadgets and digital tools have always been part of my life. What’s different now is that they don’t just make life easier – they make life possible. 

How technology helps me personally 

  • Memory support: my phone is my second brain. I use reminders, alarms, and notes for everything, from taking medication to remembering appointments. Without these prompts, my days would unravel very quickly. 
  • Staying connected: social media gives me a voice. Through my blog and online platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, I can share my experiences, raise awareness, and connect with people around the world. Dementia can be isolating, but online spaces mean I’m never alone. 
  • Confidence and independence: simple tools like navigation apps stop me from getting lost, while smart home devices help with daily routines. This gives me more independence and saves me from relying on others all the time. 
  • Creativity and purpose: technology allows me to – whether that’s writing a blog post, recording a video, or experimenting with digital art. This sense of achievement is priceless. 

Benefits for the dementia community 

  • Shared experiences: technology lets us tell our own story, in our own words. This helps break down stigma and shows the world that we are still here, still contributing.
  • Peer support: online groups and video calls mean that people living with dementia can support each other, even if travel isn’t possible. Peer connection like that is powerful.
  • Accessibility: from speech-to-text tools to virtual reality therapies, technology is opening new doors for people with dementia to live well.
  • Advocacy and influence: technology provides a platform for people like me to be heard by policymakers, researchers, and charities, and for our voices to shape services and research in ways that weren’t possible before.

For those of us living with dementia, technology is more than a convenience. It is a bridge between what has been lost and what can still be achieved. It supports daily life, fosters creativity, builds communities, and amplifies our voice in the world.

The challenge now is to ensure equal access, so that every person with dementia, regardless of background, can benefit from these tools. By embracing technology, we can demonstrate that life with dementia is still a life of value, connection, and contribution.

For me, technology isn’t just about convenience. It’s about dignity, independence, and hope. It reminds me that dementia might have changed the way I live, but it hasn’t silenced me.

Links

Peter’s website: https://www.livingwithdementia.online