Professor of Social Work, PhD in Social Work, Master of Science in Psychology, Psychologist and trained as a Social Worker.
Research
"Doctoral dissertation: Everyday life in different worlds – dementia and caregivers in three group homes."
"Vardag i olika världar Om dementa och vårdbiträden på tre gruppboenden." Arkiv förlag
Research areas: Care of Older People and Postgraduate Education
My two main research areas are eldercare and postgraduate education. Over a period of 15 years, between 1993 to present, I have studied the meaning of everyday life and interpersonal processes in the care of older people suffering from dementia. Since 2002 the research also comprises a socio-political comparative approach on different organisational levels, focused on eldercare in general in Sweden, France and Portugal. From 2006 the research area also includes care of older people in the UK were I am appointed to be a Visiting Fellow in Elder Care & Social Research until at least 2010.
Initially the research principally was influenced by a relationship-based approach with a psycho-dynamic theoretical starting-point and a phenomenological/ hermeneutic view on qualitative studies. Later on an organisational theoretical framework also has been used. With the same theoretical and methodological approach I started developmental work and research on postgraduate education in 1999.
In the frame of fundamental research I have tried to explore "what’s going on" in the everyday life in the care of the elderly as well as in various postgraduate situations and environments. In the applied part of my research I have studied and tried to develop the meeting of research and the field.
The gap between theory and practice has been more and more evident in my research and it has gradually grown up to a central position of my research focus as well as my interest in questions regarding the interaction between different trusts and research disciplines within the frame of the welfare state. Thanks to my participation in the interdisciplinary based research work at CASE – Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments at Lund University, I now have the possibility to develop and study this area not only in the care of older people but also in postgraduate education.
Research Projects (selected)
- 1998 "Staff Supervision as Pedagogy and Support in Group Living Units - An Intervention Study". Funded by Greta & Johan Kock's Foundation.
- 1999 – 2000 "Everyday Life in Different Worlds: On being a Caregiver among Older People suffering from Dementia". Funded by the Swedish Council for Planning and Co-ordination of Research, FRN Dnr: 990287:2 A 11 - 5/1266.
- 2000 – 2003 Supervision as Pedagogy and Support among Staff in Dementia Care - a Developmental Project". Funded by the Council for Work Life Research, RALF Dnr: 1999-0590.
- 2001 "Supervision as an obstacle or support in the Ph.D. education programme?" Funded by the Crafoord Foundation, Ref nr: 20010984
- 2002 – 2004 "Supervising Supervisors and Ph.D. Candidates – on the development of supervision as a form of instruction and a pedagogic instrument in postgraduate education". Funded by the Swedish Council of Higher Education, Rhu, Dnr 026/F01.2003 - 2004
- 2003 - 2004 "Communication, Group dynamics and Leadership in Surveying Education". Funded by the Land Survey Educational Board at Lund Technical Institute".
- 2002 - 2006 "Old and suffering from Dementia in Sweden, Portugal and France - a Comparative Study on Socio-political Goals and Implement in three Cultures". Funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, FAS, Dnr: 2001 - 2422
- 2006 – 2007 ”Special Housing for the Elderly in different Cultures - on Care, Organisation and Supervision in the UK and in Sweden. Scholarship as a Visiting Researcher six months at Derby University, UK funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research Dnr: 2006-1547
- 2007 - 2010 CASE – Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments, Lund University. Interdisciplinary Research Centre funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research for ten years. (Co-applicant, PI: S Iwarsson
- 2008 - 2010 CASE - Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments, Lund University, Director of Studies at CASE Graduate School for Ageing Research funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research. (Co-applicant, PI: S Iwarsson)
- 2007-2011 Senior Life Transition Points and Their Implictions for Everyday Mobility: perspectives, patters, scenarios and the issue of car use. Funded by ERA NET 2007 and Vinnova – Keep Moving: improving the mobility for older persons, EU. In collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Lunds (PI A Ståhl).
- 2007 – 2011 Non-take-up in Swedish welfare - Women´s decision-making on mammography screening and treatment of breast cancer. In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University and UMAS, Malmö University Hospital (ass coordinator, head coordinator S Zackrisson)
Commissions (selected):
- Responsible for development, planning and accomplishment of a recurrent compulsory research supervisor education as well as the education of Associate Professors at the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Technology at Lund University.
- During nine years from 1993 to 2006 member of the Board of the School of Social Work, Lund University.
- From 1990 to present course director for various courses at different levels at the School of Social Work, Lund University. At present course director for SOAN 17, Social Work within health and medical service.
Society Interaction and research dissemination
The interaction with the surrounding society has mainly been accomplished through supervision, education and counselling in various areas during 20 years of time. Dissemination of research data are carried out through lectures and research information in various Municipal Service Organisations, Hospitals, Eldercare Organisations, Social Insurance Offices and in the Voluntary Sector.