Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment. These impacts include loss of social activities, decreased functional independence, and reduced physical activity.

The purpose of the study was to explore the participants' experiences and meanings expressed by people with AMD participating in an empowerment-based intervention.

Methods: The study has an explorative design based on ethnographic observations and informal interviews during the Empowerment-Based Physical Activity Intervention (EPI). The intervention embraced empowerment as a process and adopted the reflective equilibrium community empowerment approach. The EPI was carried out over six months and comprised adapted physical activity and social activities twice a week—furthermore, individual health coaching on three occasions. Nine women and two men aged 70-87 years old with AMD in Sweden participated in EPI. Field notes of the observations were analysed using a thematic method with an abductive approach.

Findings: The analysis resulted in five themes: a) Feeling seen and included, b) Having a sense of security, c) Developing physical skills, d) Feeling meaningful and social connectedness, and e) Feeling increased motivation.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, EPI has been a resource for the participants' well-being and development. The findings also filled a gap in the research literature and may provide insights into the potential of creative supervised, adapted physical activity in groups, health coaching, and socialising.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment and impacts daily life. There are benefits of physical activity for people who are affected with AMD; however, living with AMD is associated with lower levels of physical activity and social isolation. The aim of this study was to explore how older people with AMD in Sweden experienced participation in a 6-month empowerment-based physical activity intervention and how it influenced their physical abilities. Methods: The participants were nine individuals with AMD aged 70–87 years. The intervention comprised physical and social activities in a group twice a week and individual health coaching on three occasions. The study was based on an exploratory qualitative case study design. Results: The findings showed two themes: created meaningfulness in life and creative and playful ways to develop body movements. The findings also showed improved muscle strength after the intervention. Conclusions: The findings showed that participants had increased social connectedness, improved physical self-efficacy and physical ability, as well as improved muscle strength. The empowerment process of the intervention was appreciated by the participants and challenged them to participate in physical activity offered by the municipality for older individuals. © 2024 by the authors.

The elderly population is estimated to increase worldwide. One of the major health determinants identified in this population are injuries where one of the most prevalent causes are falls. The overall aim of this thesis was to describe and explore visual impairment and falls of inpatients and independently living elderly in the community and how daily life activities were influenced by visual ability and risk of falling. Methods in the studies were a quantitative retrospective descriptive design for study I followed by two quantitative retrospective and explorative studies where in study II perceived vision related quality of life and in study III performance-based visual ability were investigated. Study IV was a qualitative explorative study using classic grounded theory. In study I all falls of inpatients at a medical clinic 65 years and older (n=68) were registered during one year. In study II and III a random sample (n=212) of independently living elderly between 70 and 85 years of age participated in both studies. In study IV seven women and six men between 73 and 85 years of age from the two previous studies and six visual instructors (n=19) participated. The data in study I was collected during 2004, study II and III between February 2009 to March 2010 and study IV December 2009 to January 2013. The results in study I showed that most falls in five hospital wards occurred at night and those most affected had an established visual impairment. Almost half the population in study II and III fell at least once. Perceived vision when performing daily life activities showed a positive association between visual impairment and falls in men but not in women (II). No associations were found between performance-based measured visual ability and falls (III). Visually impaired elderly did not consider risk of falling as a problem (IV). Their main concern is to remain themselves as who they used to be which is managed by self- preservation while maintaining their residual selves and resisting self decay. Maintaining residual self is done by living in the past mostly driven by inertia while resisting self decay is a proactive and purposeful driven strategy.

It is a complex issue to do fall risk assessments and planning fall preventive action where the individual’s entire life situation has to be taken into consideration.

Att falla är något som kan få mycket allvarliga konsekvenser för äldre människor. Men varför faller man som äldre och när faller man? Jeanette Källstrand Ericson är forskarstuderande på Högskolan i Halmstad. Hon har undersökt problemet och upptäckte att det inte riktigt var som man trodde...

Injuries among seniors such as fall injuries are one major problem today even though various actions are taken in promoting healthy ageing and self-management. However age is one of the most important independent fall predictors since the body does change with age. A decline of visual ability is one of the natural changes and it is known that affected visual ability is one of the most predictive risk factor of falling both independently and in combination with other risk factors. In a population of independently living seniors 70 years and older (n=212) 43%, 36 men and 55 women, reported at least one fall. Both perceived and performance-based visual ability and its association to falls were investigated. The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was used assessing various dimensions of self-reported vision functioning in daily life activities such as going down steps or curbs, and difficulties in noticing objects off to the side while walking along. Significant associations with falling (p<5%) were found for nine out of eleven NEI VFQ- 25 vision-related subscales for men, but none for women. However regarding performance-based visual ability such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis and visual field no associations were found with falls(p<5%). The majority of the seniors presented normal performance- based visual ability even though falls were common. One reason may be that at an eye clinic the conditions are optimal and standardized and do not agree with the conditions in the seniors’ daily life where difficulties may occur. The results shows that when planning fall prevention actions it is of importance investigating seniors’ perceived visual ability when performing various daily life activities.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the performance-based visual ability among independently living elderly subjects and to investigate whether there was any association between visual ability and falls.

Subjects and methods: A total of 298 randomly selected subjects aged 70–85 years were invited for an examination including monocular and binocular visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), stereoscopic vision, and monocular visual fields (VFs), which were integrated to estimate the binocular VFs. Type of lenses used in their habitual correction was noted.

Results: Out of the 212 subjects who were examined, 38% reported at least one fall and 48% of these reported at least two falls during the last 2 years. Most subjects had normal results; 90% had normal binocular VA, 85% had normal binocular CS, and ~80% had positive stereopsis. Twenty-nine subjects had VF defects in the lower quadrants of the binocular VF, and 14 of these reported at least one fall. A significant association was seen between one fall or more and VA better eye, the odds ratio (OR) was 2.26, P=0.013, and between recurrent falls and lack of stereoscopic vision, the OR was 3.23, P=0.002; no other functional test showed any significant association with recurrent falls. The ORs were 1.58 for worse binocular VA, 0.60 for worse binocular CS, and 0.71 for non-normal stereoscopic vision for at least one fall, but wide confidence intervals made it difficult to draw firm conclusions about any association. Bifocal or progressive spectacles were worn by 71% with no significant difference between fallers and nonfallers (P=0.078).

Conclusion: Even though ~40% of the total sample had experienced one or more falls, the only visual function test significantly associated with falls were VA better eye, lack of stereoscopic vision, and recurrent falls. Our results suggest that there may be more powerful predictors of falling than decreased visual ability. © 2016 Källstrand-Eriksson et al.

The purpose of this classic grounded theory study was to understand how seniors who are living independently resolve issues influenced by visual impairment and high fall risk. We interviewed and observed 13 seniors with visual impairment in their homes. We also interviewed six visual instructors with experience from many hundreds of relevant incidents from the same group of seniors. We found that the seniors are resolving their main concern of “remaining themselves as who they used to be” by self-preservation. Within this category, the strategies maintaining the established self and defying deterioration emerged as the most prominent in our data. The theme maintaining the established self is mostly guided by change inertia and includes living the past (retaining past activities, reminiscing, and keeping the home intact) and facading (hiding impairment, leading to avoidance of becoming a burden and to risk juggling). Defying deterioration is a proactive scheme and involves moving (by exercising, adapting activities, using walking aids, driving), adapting (by finding new ways), and networking by sustaining old support networks or finding new networks. Self-preservation is generic human behavior and modifying this theory to other fields may therefore be worthwhile. In addition, health care providers may have use for the theory in fall preventive planning. © 2016 J. K. Eriksson et al.

Background: Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease associated with age that causes progressive and irreversible loss of central vision, while the peripheral visual ability remains. The present study explored what it means to live with AMD through the eyes of those living with the condition. Methods: This is an explorative interview study. People who were ≥ 65 years old, living in their own homes, and diagnosed with advanced dry AMD in one or both eyes, causing a visual acuity of no more than 0.3 or worse in the best eye, were invited to participate in the study. The method chosen was the constructivist grounded theory, where reality is seen as fundamentally social and processual and a way of accessing the participants' experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Results: In total, 12 interviews were conducted. Living with dry AMD confronted different problems and challenges. The substantive theory, Perpetuating ability to live life as usual, is characterised by a desire to continue life as usual, which requires an acceptance of the disease's progress, self-acceptance of the new me, and an acceptance that you must live the new life a little more carefully. Moreover, the participants used three strategies to resolve the main concern: 1) Navigating the new normal, 2) Trusting own ability, and 3) Interdepending. Conclusion: Maintaining an everyday life is the primary concern among people with AMD. In supporting self-care, gaining information about the subjective experience to support their everyday living is of the utmost importance. This grounded theory captures valuable knowledge of how the older adults resolved their main concern “you got to keep on” despite their affected vision by “facing the fact” live life as usual since life continues. Our study also gives rise both to implications for research and practice in order to strengthen older people with AMD facing their future challenges. Trial registration: The Swedish Ethical Review Authority (EPN 2021/02877). © 2024, The Author(s).

AbstractAge-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease associated with age with progressive loss of central vision, but the peripheral vision remains. The disease is considered the third most common cause of impaired vision and legal blindness in the world among people 60 years and older and as the elderly population increases, the prevalence of AMD is also expected to increase. Because of the progress of the disease, vision-related issues are accumulated and consequently also on the quality of life. The aim of the study was to explore the experience of living with AMD. The participants were ≥ 65 years living in their own homes and having a diagnosis of dry AMD in one or both eyes caused visual acuity of no more than 0.3 in the best eye. The method chosen was the constructivist grounded theory where reality is seen as fundamentally social and processual and a way of getting access to the participants’ experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The interviews were conducted in the participants’ homes or where they preferred such as at a library. 

Aim: The aim of this register study was to investigate falls and fall injuries of inpatients 65 years and over to determine whether a causal factor of visual impairment was documented.

Background: All Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have an increasing older population with falls and fall injuries becoming a major problem. A visual impairment can be an independent risk factor for falls but can also occur in combination with other intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors.

Design: A retrospective non-randomised register study.

Methods: In 2004, all documented falls of inpatients aged 65 years and over were examined. Medical records and eye clinic records were scrutinised to identify whether any visual impairment have been documented.

Conclusion: The majority of falls occurred between the hours of 24:00-06:00 and the inpatients most often affected were those with a visual impairment. The falls occurred in connection with movement when the inpatient was unaccompanied. Documentation in records at the medical clinic was defective and subjectively perceived visual impairment was not documented at all. Both subjective and objective visual impairment occurred in all eye clinic records. Relevance to clinical practice.

Visual impairment along with the ageing process are features affecting falls and the hospital environment needs to be adapted by improving the use of strong, contrasting colours and providing good lighting for older inpatients with visual impairment during the night time period. Hospital safety for older people with visual impairment is a concern if falls are to be reduced. Healthcare professionals need to undertake individual risk assessments to establish the degree of visual impairment of the older person so that appropriate interventions can be implemented to reduce the incidence of falls and fall injuries.

Falls and fall injuries among the elderly population are common, since ageing is a risk factor of falling. Today, this is a major problem because the ageing population is increasing. There are predictive factors of falling and visual impairment is one of them. Usually, only visual acuity is considered when measuring visual impairment, and nothing regarding a person's functional visual ability is taken into account. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the perceived vision-related quality of life among the community living elderly using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) and to investigate whether there was any association among vision-related quality of life and falls. There were 212 randomly selected elderly people participating in the study. Our study indicated that the participants had an impaired perceived vision-related health status. General health was the only NEI VFQ-25 variable significantly associated with falls in both men and women. However, among men, near and distance activities, vision-specific social functioning, role difficulties and dependency, color and peripheral vision were related to falls.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment and impacts daily life. These impacts include loss of social activities, decreased functional independence, and reduced physical activity. This protocol aims to describe a prospective, mixed-methodology for studying a population with AMD before, during, and after an empowerment-based physical activity intervention (EPI). A study framework was also developed for EPI. The intervention will include 20 older individuals (age 65+ years) with AMD recruited in Sweden. The intervention period is six months and comprises adapted physical activity and social activities in a group twice a week and individual health coaching on three occasions. The quantitative pre-test and three follow-ups include physical functional tests, an accelerometer that monitors physical activity continuously for one week, and questionnaires. Individual and focus-group interviews and ethnographic observations will explore the experience of living with AMD and what it means to participate in the EPI for individuals with AMD. The chosen methodology offers a structured way for researchers to explore the experiences and factors that may provide insights into the potential of creative supervised, adapted physical activity in groups, health coaching, and socialising that are significant to enable well-being among older individuals with AMD. © 2022 by the authors.

Background: The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance of health promotion for health service providers in order to ensure sustainable working life for individuals involved in providing health services. Such sustainability begins when students are preparing to manage their own future health and welfare in working life. It has been suggested that universities, employees and trainee health professionals should adopt or follow a salutogenic approach that not only complements the providing of information on known health risks but also favors health promotion strategies. This paper describes the study design and data collection methods in a planned study aiming to explore health-promoting factors for a sustainable working life among students in higher education within healthcare and social work. Methods: This protocol describes a multicenter longitudinal study involving Swedish students on higher education programs in the healthcare and social work sectors. In 2018, the study invited students on seven education programs at six universities to participate. These programs were for qualification as: biomedical laboratory scientists (n = 121); dental hygienists (n = 87); nurses (n = 1411); occupational therapists (n = 111); physiotherapists (n = 48); radiographers (n = 60); and, social workers (n = 443). In total, 2283 students were invited to participate. Participants completed a baseline, a self-reported questionnaire including six validated instruments measuring health-promoting factors and processes. There are to be five follow-up questionnaires. Three while the students are studying, one a year after graduating, and one three years after graduating. Each questionnaire captures different health-promoting dimensions, namely: health-promoting resources (i.e. sense of coherence); occupational balance; emotional intelligence; health and welfare; social interaction; and work and workplace experiences/perceptions. Discussion: This study focuses on the vastly important aspect of promoting a sustainable working life for healthcare and social work employees. In contrast to previous studies in this area, the present study uses different, validated instruments in health promotion, taking a salutogenic approach. It is hoped that, by stimulating the implementation of new strategies, the study’s findings will lead to education programs that prepare students better for a sustainable working life in healthcare and social work. © 2020 The Author(s).

Background: Timely identification of patients with palliative care needs is a prerequisite for being able to carry out effective and equal palliative care. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) identifies patients likely to benefit from a palliative approach.

Aim: The main objective was to describe the translation, cross-cultural adaptation and content validation process of the SPICT-SE. In this process, the prefinal SPICT-SE was tested in focus group interviews to explore how the tool was perceived and interpreted by healthcare professionals in a Swedish healthcare context.

Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, the translation, cross-cultural adaptation and content validation process of the SPICT-SE was based on a recommended method for cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. The process included two independent forward translations, a synthesis, and one independent back-translation. An expert committee consolidated all the versions and developed the prefinal version of the SPICT-SE. The prefinal version of the SPICT-SE was tested in four focus group interviews with physicians and nurses engaged in inpatient or outpatient care in south-west Sweden. A thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews was performed. The SPICT-SE was then revised to the final version.

Results: In the thematic analysis, four themes were constructed that together described how the SPICT-SE was perceived and interpreted by healthcare professionals: The mindset is familiar and relevant; the tool needs to be adjusted in order to be clearer; the purpose and consequences of the tool are ambiguous; and the tool supports a palliative approach.

Conclusion: The SPICT-SE has now been successfully translated, culturally adapted and content validated in a Swedish healthcare context. © 2019 Nordic College of Caring Science

Purpose: Childhood cancer invades the child's daily life and has a strong influence on their living conditions and lifestyle. The treatment is an unpleasant experience and the children often perceive the treatment as worse than the actual disease. The aim of the present study was thus to explore the process of how healthcare professionals improved care for children undergoing sedation for intrathecal chemotherapy.

Method: A constructivist grounded theory approach was applied and qualitative interviews with paediatricians (n = 2), anaesthetists (n = 2), paediatric nurses (n = 3) and nurse anaesthetists (n = 5).

Results: The theory of creating a shielding place emerged and conceptualized the pattern of behavior of healthcare professionals throughout the procedure of sedation for intrathecal chemotherapy for pediatric leukaemia. The theory explains the core category ‘shielding’ and the process of how healthcare professionals developed strategies to resolve their main concern: a striving to reduce discomfort and suffering induced by the procedure and the treatment. These strategies, used throughout the procedure, were; de-dramatizing, de-exposing and minimizing trespassing.

Conclusions: The theory of creating a shielding place offers a greater understanding of how healthcare professionals included the child's perspective in their work and thereby enabled a more sensitive and supportive care that had an impact on both quality of care and patient safety. The results from the study contributes with theoretical knowledge that can be used for developing evidence-based care guidelines for the procedure of sedating a child with leukaemia for intrathecal chemotherapy. © 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.