NEWS Seniors who have home care valued personally relevant activities, in both solitary activities and activities with others, to be able to participate socially and feel a sense of community. Low perceived quality of home care interventions was associated with the experience of loneliness. This is shown by studies in a thesis by Therese Nordin, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University.
In the studies, there were two perspectives that dominated the reasoning of home care professionals about the loneliness and social needs of seniors. Seniors with home care were described on the one hand as valuable but vulnerable "others" with simple social needs, on the other hand as competent equals with individual and multifaceted social needs.
– Together with home care staff, we also co-created a work model that aims to guide home care staff in detecting loneliness and supporting social participation among seniors. The co-creative process was then applied to an occupational therapy framework to test the model, says Therese Nordin.
Therese Nordin
ImageHans KarlssonDealing with loneliness
The understanding of elderly people's loneliness and social participation in the home care context has been nuanced, and also the reasoning that affects the practical implementation of home care. The work model constitutes a possible first step towards a more systematic treatment of loneliness and social needs from home care.
The analysis of the co-creative process through an occupational therapy framework can support researchers to carry out co-creative research in a home care context based on occupational therapy and activity science.
Method: Four studies were included in the thesis.
· Interviews with senior home care users explored experiences of social inclusion.
· A total population survey demonstrated a relationship between perceived quality of care and loneliness.
· Group discussions with home care professionals explored their views on loneliness support for social participation.
· Co-creative workshops with home care staff, where they developed strategies to reduce loneliness.
About Therese Nordin
Therese Nordin lives in Umeå but grew up in the neighboring municipality of Nordmaling. She began her professional life working in housing for the elderly and later for people with intellectual disabilities. There she developed an interest in communication, social interaction and how we together create the conditions to be able to do what we want. Therese applied for occupational therapy training in order to refine her work towards such areas, and during her bachelor's training she came into contact with occupational therapy research. In the future, she plans to devote herself to both research and teaching in occupational therapy.
Telephone: 070-282 87 59
Therese Nordin, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, defends her thesis Capturing the feeling of community – perceptions of loneliness and promotion of social participation in a home care context, Friday 28 April at 09.00 in the Rotunda.
