Community participation and integration in dementia: data from a modified version of Community Integration Questionnaire.

Several authors have emphasised the importance of the environment for community integration, suggesting it is more important in the prediction of disability impact. Because the definition of participation in the ICF is rather vague, the following definition, based upon the comments of Whiteneck10 was used: ‘the performance of people in actual activities in social life domains through interaction with others in the context in which they live’.7 Characteristics such as stability of the home, flexibility of rules, and an emphasis on relationships have been identified as essential features. The social and recreational activities in which we take part influence the degree of our community involvement. The level of such activities in a brain injured population has been shown to be associated with more vocational hours, higher income, less depression, and time since injury. The study conducted here shows a specific, large impact of cognitive disability on everyday life participation. Behavioural symptoms are particularly relevant in reducing quality of life and positive relationship