Home care patients in four Nordic capitals – predictors of nursing home admission during one-year followup

The aim was to predict nursing home admission (NHA) for home care patients after a 12-month follow-up study. This Nordic study is derived from the aged in home care (AdHOC) project conducted in 2001–2003 with patients at 11 sites in Europe. The participants in the cohort study were randomly selected individuals, aged 65 years or older, receiving homecare in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Reykjavik. The Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (version 2.0) was used. Epidemiological and medical characteristics of patients and service utilization were recorded for 1508 home care patients (participation rate 74%). In this sample 75% were female. The mean age was 82.1 (6.9) years for men and 84.0 (6.6) for women. The most consistent predictor of NHA was receiving skilled nursing procedures at baseline (help with medication and injections, administration or help with oxygen, intravenous, catheter and stoma care, wounds and skin care) (adjusted odds ratio = 3.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.7–7.8; P < 0.001). In this Nordic material, stronger emphasizing on higher qualified nurses in a home care setting could prevent or delay NHA

Sense of self among persons with advanced dementia

As humans, we have a sense of self, and at best, we are proud of our abilities and feel respected by other persons. Persons with dementia have been regarded losing their self. Quantitative research has shown that this is true, while qualitative research has shown that parts of self are severely affected while other parts remain even among persons with advanced dementia. These persons sometimes keep feeling “still the same” as before getting dementia. Their memory deficits help as does support from other persons. The theory of three aspects of self by the psychologists Rom Harré and Steven Sabat are presented, that is, the feeling that we are, who we are, and who we are together with other persons. Based on empirical research, suggestions will be given about how by promoting experiences of at-homeness, dignity, and being oneself related to others we can help persons with advanced dementia experience themselves as valuable persons

Elucidating the meaning of life world phenomena : A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience

In this paper, a phenomenological hermeneutical method for interpreting narrativetexts is proposed. Interviewees are asked to tell from their lived experience of participatingin life world phenomena. The interview texts are written down and analysed,inspired by the theory of interpretation of Paul Ricoeur, in three steps: a first,naïve reading, structural analysis and comprehensive understanding. The methodwas presented the first time in 2004. In this paper, the theory behind it is elaborated.Basic concepts like phenomenon, meaning, life world, lived experience and concretereflection are clarified, and the historical background of the method and its ontology,epistemology and methodology are explained

Mellanchefsrollen inom den privata sektorn : En kvalitativ studie om att befinna sig mittemellan överordnade och underordnade

Mellanchefsrollen är en viktig roll ju mer en organisation växer, vilket i sin tur bidrar till att fler chefer behövs, och däribland mellanchefer. Mellanchefen befinner sig mittemellan överordnade och underordnade och det gör att mellanchefen kan uppleva sig klämd mellan olika krav. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka mellanchefsrollen inom privata sektorn och hur den befinner sig mittemellan överordnade och underordnade. Studien fokuserar på den privata sektorn eftersom större delen av den tidigare forskningen har studerat den offentliga sektorn och det uppmärksammas att det finnas skillnader mellan den offentliga och privata sektorn. En fenomenologisk ansats i kombination med kvalitativ innehållsanalys används och grundar sig i semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio mellanchefer från olika branscher. Mellanchefsrollen undersöks genom att använda Agentteorin, Rollteorin samt Gjerde och Alvessons tre rollidentiteter för att förstå potentiella motstridiga krav mellanchefen upplever, rollkonflikter samt hur mellanchefen förhåller sig till överordnade och underordnade. Studien visar att flera informanter har erfarenhet av motstridiga krav men att de beskriver och hanterar dem på olika sätt beroende på arbetslivserfarenhet och relationer till de överordnade och underordnade. Vidare visar studien att rollkonflikter kan uppstå i mellanchefsrollen när förväntningar från en själv, överordnade och underordnade krockar. Studien visar även att mellanchefen förhåller sig på olika sätt till överordnade och underordnade genom att inta olika roller, och därmed hantera de motstridiga krav som uppstår. The middle manager is an important role in growing organizations. As a result, more managers are needed in the organization, including the middle manager. The middle manager exists between top managers above and subordinates below, which might make them feel like they are wedged between different demands. The purpose of the study is to examine the role of the middle manager in the private sector and how it exists between top managers above and subordinates below. The study focuses on the private sector since most of the previous research has studied the public sector and it is noted that there are differences between the sectors. Furthermore, the study uses a phenomenological approach in combination with qualitative content analysis. Nine middle managers are interviewed. The theoretical perspectives used to examine the middle manager role are the Agency-Principal theory, Role theory and, Gjerde and Alvesson's three role identities. The theories are used to understand potential conflicting demands, conflicts in the role, and how the middle manager relates to top managers above and subordinates below. The result indicates that several informants experience conflicting demands and handle them in different ways, depending on the length of their work experience and relationships to top managers above and subordinates below. Furthermore, the study indicates that conflicts in the role can arise when the middle manager experiences conflicting expectations from themselves, from managers above and subordinates below. The study indicates that middle managers can relate differently to managers above and subordinates below by taking on different roles, thereby managing the conflicting demands.