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This paper reports a study conducted to illuminate older adults' perceptions of multiproffesional team's caring skills as success factors for health support in short‐term goal‐directed reablement. The fact that older adults are given perquisites to live in their own homes puts great demands on the professional care given them at home. An option offered could be short‐term goal‐directed reablement delivered by an interprofessional team. This means after periods in hospitals to strengthen their multidimensional health, older adults' reablement processes are supported to return to their daily life as soon as possible. Crucial in making these intentions a reality seems to be identifying the professional's approach that works as success factors for health support in the reablement process. A descriptive qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach based on interviews with 23 older persons who had received short‐term goal‐directed reablement at home after a period at hospital was used. The study was approved by an ethical board. The analysis revealed four major referential aspects of multiproffesional team's caring skills as success factors for health‐support in short‐term goal‐directed reablement: a motivating caregiver, a positive atmosphere‐creating caregiver, a human fellowship‐oriented caregiver and a caregiver that goes beyond the expected. In this study, all caring skills in the continuum are perceived as positively loaded necessities in different situations during the reablement process. Caring skills as success factors are initially shown at a practical level, such as how the professional caregivers encourage and motivate the older persons in different training situations. At a deeper level, the caregivers open their hearts and have the capacity to go beyond the expected in the professional caregiver–patient relationship. The multiproffesional team's best fit caring skills during the home reablement process need to be addressed as evidence base in the area of elderly home care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012; 26; 104-112 My, your and our needs for safety and security: relatives' reflections on using information and communication technology in dementia care Aim: The present paper reports on a study aimed at describing relatives′ reflections on different kinds of information and communication technology (ICT) devices that are used or can be used in the daily care of persons with dementia. Background: Many persons with dementia continue living in their own homes, which requires the support of their relatives. One way to meet the needs of relatives and persons with dementia is to use ICT. Methods: An interview study was conducted in Sweden (2007-2008) with a purposive sample of 14 spouses of a person with dementia. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify categories and themes in the data. Findings: Relatives′ reflections on the use of ICT were described as ICT - a support in daily life, ICT - internal and external conditions and ICT - the decision to use or not use. Based on these categories, a theme was revealed: shifting between different perspectives: my, your and our needs for safety and security. Conclusion: Relatives struggle to create a situation of safety and security in daily life for themselves and the persons with dementia. ICT devices with the right functionality and used at the right time are regarded as useful in solving everyday problems. In the decision to use or not use ICT, the opportunity to create a safe and secure environment overshadows potential ethical problems. Providing early information about ICT to persons with dementia and their relatives could facilitate joint decision-making regarding use of ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Domestic violence is a prevalent public health issue. While clinical guidelines and care programs for its identification and handling have been formulated in all administrative regions of Sweden, their degree of implementation is largely unknown. This study aims to assess the implementation of one administrative region's care program, including how it is seen to align with and function in clinical practice, and any perceived barriers to or facilitators of its use. Methods: A survey was distributed to first‐line managers for healthcare units with patient contact in the region (n = 807). The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open responses were analysed thematically. Group interviews (n = 5) were held with caregivers (n = 15) working primarily with young patients and analysed thematically. Results: 73% of the survey respondents reported previous awareness of the care program, and 27% reported knowledge of its content. The extent to which their staff knew about and followed the care program was assessed to be relatively low. The survey response rate was 19%. Among interview participants, knowledge of the care program was generally quite low. Survey responses and interview discussions pointed to the importance of developing routines, of collegial and managerial support and of training on domestic violence and the care program. Conclusion: This study indicates that the knowledge and use of the regional care program is limited among healthcare staff, including among those working with young patients. This underscores the importance of information and training for furthering the implementation of clinical guidelines on domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the Swedish state-funded healthcare system, housing adaptations are used to promote safe and independent living for disabled people in ordinary housing through the elimination of physical environmental barriers in the home. The aim of this study was to describe the cohabitants' expectations and experiences of how a housing adaptation, intended for the partner, would impact their everyday life. In-depth interviews were conducted with cohabitants of nine people applying for a housing adaptation, initially at the time of the application and then again 3 months after the housing adaptation was installed. A longitudinal analysis was performed including analysis procedures from Grounded Theory. The findings revealed the expectations and experiences in four categories: partners' activities and independence; cohabitants' everyday activities and caregiving; couples' shared recreational/leisure activities; and housing decisions. A core category putting the intervention into perspective was called 'Housing adaptations - A piece of the puzzle'. From the cohabitants' perspective, new insights on housing adaptations emerged, which are important to consider when planning and carrying out successful housing adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]