The Code of Ethics for Occupational Therapists stipulates how occupational therapists should think about the profession’s central concepts in practice, where ‘Health’ is one such concept. Other guiding principles for practice are the Occupational Therapy Process Model and the ARTUR Case Record Structure. The aim of this study has been to identify and describe how occupational therapists at a hospital in Sweden documented interventions in patient case records. A stratified and random sample of one hundred case records was evaluated in relation to a checklist. The results showed that only 21 percent of the case records were complete. Often, the notes were found under the wrong keyword and 12 percent of the occupational therapy cases were indistinct and did not belong to any of the intervention categories in which occupational therapists normally intervene. Despite this, the majority of the case records reflected the ICF’s Activity/Participation component, which could be interpreted to mean that the occupational therapists held holistic health notions in line with the code of ethics. In order to improve the occupational therapists’ documentation in patient case records, further discussions of the central concepts and guiding principles for occupational therapy are required.

A prolonged working life is crucial for sustaining social welfare and fiscal stability for countries facing ageing populations. The group of older adults is not homogeneous; however, differences within the group may affect the propensity to continue working and to participate in continuing education. The aim of this paper is to explore how participation in work and education vary with gender, age, and education level in a sample of older adults. The study was performed in Sweden, a context characterized by high female labour-market-participation rates and a high average retirement age. The participants were 232 members of four of the major senior citizens? organizations. We found no differences in participation in work and education based on gender. People older than 75 years were found to be as active as people 65?75 years old in education, but the older group worked less. There were positive associations between education level and participation in both work and education. Hence, this study implies that socio-economic inequalities along these dimensions are widened later in life. This highlights the importance of engaging workers with lower education levels in educational efforts throughout life. It also emphasizes the need for true lifelong learning in society.

Professor Håkan Törnebohms paradigmteori.

Ett försök att reda ut begreppen med anknytning till ett arbetsterapeutiskt perspektiv.

The present study has an explorative design with its starting point in Törnebohm´s theory of paradigms. The aim of this study was to identify and describe how newly enrolled occupational therapy students perceived their future profession, especially regarding world view and field of action view. Written data were collected using essay questions. Data analysis/synthesis were accomplished qualitatively. Three themes were identified in the material: Notions of some concepts fundamental to occupational therapy; Notions of the “setting” of occupational therapy reality and Notions of the operational reality of occupational therapy. With their limited personal experience of occupational therapy, the students´ conceptions reflected interested outsiders´ views on the topic, influenced by information available in society and the questions given. They were shown to possess relevant and varied information about occupational therapy, but had difficulties in designating the different phenomena.

The present study has an explorative design with its starting point in Törnebohm´s theory of paradigms. The primary aim of the study was to identify and characterize seven experienced occupational therapists´ perceptions of their profession, especially regarding world view and field of action view. The secondary aim was to find out if there were similarities among the respondents´ personal paradigms that could constitute a potential, local ideology for the group. Qualitative data were collected using audio- and video-taped, thematic discussions which involved focus groups on three occasions during the autumn of 1996. Within the two paradigm components world view and field of action view the data were analysed qualitatively. The results show several unifying factors and dissimilarities were limited to specifications within the unifying factors, with regard to the respondents´ notions. The unifying factors could be described as a potential, local ideology for the group.

The aim of this pilotstudy is to present a more disticnct profile of the profession, deriving inspiration from Törnebohm's theory of paradigms. Six occupational therapists answered in writing 12 open essay questions about their ideas on paradigmatic matters. The focus in the questions is within the occupational therapist's field of action view and results are presented as aspects of practice. The occupational therapist is like a chameleon in the field of health care. She alters between different roles, using various parts of her professional competence to support the patient in reaching a meaningful everyday life from the patient's own perspective. The flexibility of the profession may contribute to many occupational therapists' feelings of having av vague professional profile, but is fundamental and a prerequisite of good occupational therapy. A greater awareness of our professional paradigm creates conditions by which it can be improved and adapted to variable demands. and a greater possibility to express the profession to society.

The present study has an explorative, comparative design with its starting point in Törnebohm´s theory of paradigms. The aim of the study was to identify and describe how qualified OT students perceived their future profession, especially regarding world view and field of action view, and to compare their conceptions with those of newly enrolled OT students in order to find out the differences and similarities between the two aggregations of paradigms. Data were collected in writing, using essay questions. Data analysis/synthesis was accomplished qualitatively. The comparision between the two groups was carried out through the structure of three themes with appurtenant categories. The qualified occupational therapist students´ notions gave expression to a constant application of a holistic health perspective which in contrast to those of the newly enrolled occupational therapist students resulted in numerous examples of interrelations between themes belonging to different paradigm components. In line with Törnebohm (1987) this is characteristic for paradigms.

OBJECTIVES:

To study quality of life and subjective post-concussion symptoms in adults (16-60 years) with a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) 3 months and 1 year after injury.

METHODS:

Of a total of 489 patients 173 responded to questionnaires at 3 months and at 1 year, including the SF-36 health-related quality of life survey, which is a standardized measure validated for Swedish conditions. Post-concussion symptoms were rated as either existing or non-existing in a 21-item checklist [a modified version of Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS)].

RESULTS:

SF-36 showed impaired scores in all dimensions. Existing post-concussion symptoms were reported by 1545%. Significantly, more symptoms were present at 3 months than at 3 weeks after injury. Furthermore, a significant correlation between higher rates of post-concussion symptoms and lower SF-36 scores was found. CONCLUSIONS:

The SF-36 results were significantly impaired compared with an age- and gender-matched normative control group and the rate of post-concussion symptoms was significantly higher at 3 months than at 3 weeks after injury. As a significant correlation between higher rates of symptoms and low SF-36 scores was also found we assume SF-36 to be a sensitive enough measure of MTBI-related effects.

The ambition of this thesis is to contribute, from a paradigm theoretical frame of reference, to the development of occupational therapy knowledge in Sweden.

The specified thesis aim was to identify and characterize occupational therapy students´ and occupational therapists´ perceptions of occupational therapy, especially regarding world view and field of action view in Törnebohm´s sense.

The thesis includes five sub-studies. The first and second studies are based on newly enrolled and qualified occupational therapy students´ written answers to essay-questions. The third study comprises occupational therapists´ audio- and video-taped thematic discussions and involves a focus group approach. Study four concerns occupational therapists´ exam papers and study five occuptional therapists´ personal accounts of the meaning of health.

In study one the newly enrolled occupational therapy students were shown to possess varied information about occupational therapy, but to have difficulty in joining the information together into a coherent unity. Three themes were identified in the material: Notions of some concepts fundamental to occupational therapy; Notions of the setting of occupational therapy; and Notions of the operational reality of occupational therapy.

In study two a major finding was that the qualified occupational therapy students´ notions gave expression to a constant application of a holistic health perspective which, in contrast to that of newly enrolled occupational therapy students, resulted in numerous examples of interrelations within, but also between, themes belonging to different paradigm components. According to Törnebohm this is characteristic of paradigms.

In study three the results showed several unifying factors within the two paradigm components world view and field of action view, and the dissimilarities were limited to specifications within the unifying factors, with regard to the respondents´ notions. The unifying factors could be described as a potential local ideology for the group. A major finding is that the las-ting core of occupational therapy work consists of three components: concern for uniqueness of patients; concern for details of everyday life; and concern to set free willpower/facilitate autonomous actions.

In study four the occupational therapists´ interest in research subjects related to the field of action view components of paradigms and in applied research on strategical matters, dominated throughout the material. The interest in research subjects related to the world view components of paradigms, and in basic research on ontological matters, however, was shown to have increased in the last five-year period.

In study five the results showed a strong tendency towards holistic health conceptions and also towards a phenomenological view of the body. If this tendency should be taken to reflect current basic views within the profession, it would indicate a movement away from biomedical frames of reference on the theoretical level. This would seem to imply consequent movements on the practice level away from organ-focused interventions to the benefit of interventions in the person/context dimension of occupational performance.

The aim of this study was to examine and characterize an aggregation of experienced occupational therapists´ exam papers with regard to the occupational therapists´ research interests, concerning especially ontological and strategical matters, during the time period 1984-1996. The title pages, summaries and results discussions of 84 papers were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively with the starting point in two of the components from Törnebohm´s structure of paradigms: the world view- and the field of action view-component. The occupational therapists´ interest in research subjects related to the field of action view component of paradigms, and applied research on strategical matters, dominates throughout the material. The interest in research subjects related to the world view component of paradigms, and basic research on ontological matters, increases in the last five year period. The increasing interest in more ontological matters seems as a natural and necessary progress for a profession which is deeply involved in knowledge aquired by experience. Only by the development of a “double-edged” knowledge, the profession has the possibility of developing and adapting to future demands.

The aim of this study was to describe the context of elderly persons’ occupational performance in order to expose factors affecting their opportunities to age successfully. The study design is a descriptive pilot study and consists of interviews, based on a standardized questionnaire, with thirteen elderly people in their home settings. The results show that the informants’ occupational performance problems are mostly related to their occupational function and physical environment. The informants seem to be satisfied with their life as elderly individuals, but with adequate support, aiming to increase their occupational performance, their wellbeing may increase to benefit both themselves and the society in which they live.

The aim of this project was to investigate if support received by family care givers in the form of products, technology and web-based services corresponds to their needs when taking care of a person aged over 65 years at home. Questionnaires related to activity limitations, need for support and received support were distributed nationally and answered by 368 family care givers and 332 occupational therapists, who had met family care givers within their services. Furthermore, 58 family care givers were individually interviewed. The results from the questionnaires demonstrated that family care givers experienced activity limitations with the person they take care of to a higher degree than their expressed need for support in the form of products/technology and web-based services. In addition, they stated their need for support as greater than that they had received. Family care givers experienced activity limitations with the person they took care of to a higher degree than occupational therapists within all nine activity areas in WHO’s classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Family care givers expressed a need for products/technology to a larger or to the same extent as occupational therapists. Exceptions were mobility and personal care, where occupational therapists perceived the need for products/technology as greater than the family care givers. When it comes to web-based services, data was not sufficient to enable a comparison between family care givers’ and occupational therapists’ perceptions. The results from the interview studies conducted in two counties indicated that information on what could be offered needs to be improved and that family care givers expressed a desire for improved follow-up of the prescriptions given. Their knowledge of web-based services was limited, but they considered them to be good, especially for others than themselves. Additionally, the family care givers thought that the products and technology they had become aware of needed to be developed to be more user-friendly, but felt that those they had received brought them security, safety and independence. In conclusion, it is important to consider the point of view of the family care giver and their perception of activity limitations with the person they take care of in order to provide relevant information and appropriate support in form of products, technology and web-based services for the person they are caring for.

Syftet med projektet var att ta reda på om erhållet stöd i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster motsvarar de behov som anhörigvårdare har när de vårdar en person över 65 år i hemmet. Enkäter med nationell spridning angående aktivitetsbegränsningar, behov av stöd och erhållet stöd besvarades av 368 anhörigvårdare och 332 arbetsterapeuter, som mött anhörigvårdare inom tjänsten. Dessutom intervjuades 58 anhörigvårdare från två län individuellt. Resultatet av enkätstudierna visar att anhörigvårdare uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den person de vårdar i högre grad än vad de ansåg sig ha behov av stöd i form av produkter/teknologi och webbaserade tjänster. De angav dock behov av stöd i större omfattning än vad de uppgav att de erhållit. Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar i högre grad än arbetsterapeuterna inom samtliga nio aktivitetsområden i WHO:s klassifikation över funktionstillstånd, funktionshinder och hälsa (ICF). Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade behov av produkter/teknologi i något större utsträckning eller i lika stor utsträckning som arbetsterapeuterna. Undantagen var förflyttning och personlig vård, där arbetsterapeuterna uppfattade behoven av produkter/teknologi som större än anhörigvårdarna. När det gäller webbaserade tjänster var underlaget alltför bristfälligt för att möjliggöra jämförelse mellan anhörigvårdarnas och arbetsterapeuternas uppfattningar. Resultatet av intervjustudierna visar att informationen om utbudet behöver förbättras och att man efterfrågade bättre uppföljning av de förskrivningar som skett. Kunskapen om webbaserade tjänster var begränsad men man tyckte att de verkade bra, framförallt för andra än sig själv. Man ansåg vidare att de produkter och den teknologi som man fått ta del av behöver utvecklas så att de blir mer användarvänliga, men att det man erhållit gav säkerhet, trygghet och självständighet. Sammanfattningsvis kan inte nog betonas vikten av att utgå från anhörigvårdarnas egna uppfattningar om aktuella aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar för att kunna ge relevant information och rätt stöd för vårdandet i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster.

Syftet med projektet var att ta reda på om erhållet stöd i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster motsvarar de behov som anhörigvårdare har när de vårdar en person över 65 år i hemmet. Enkäter med nationell spridning angående aktivitetsbegränsningar, behov av stöd och erhållet stöd besvarades av 368 anhörigvårdare och 332 arbetsterapeuter, som mött anhörigvårdare inom tjänsten. Dessutom intervjuades 58 anhörigvårdare från två län individuellt. Resultatet av enkätstudierna visar att anhörigvårdare uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den person de vårdar i högre grad än vad de ansåg sig ha behov av stöd i form av produkter/teknologi och webbaserade tjänster. De angav dock behov av stöd i större omfattning än vad de uppgav att de erhållit. Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar i högre grad än arbetsterapeuterna inom samtliga nio aktivitetsområden i WHO:s klassifikation över funktionstillstånd, funktionshinder och hälsa (ICF). Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade behov av produkter/teknologi i något större utsträckning eller i lika stor utsträckning som arbetsterapeuterna. Undantagen var förflyttning och personlig vård, där arbetsterapeuterna uppfattade behoven av produkter/teknologi som större än anhörigvårdarna. När det gäller webbaserade tjänster var underlaget alltför bristfälligt för att möjliggöra jämförelse mellan anhörigvårdarnas och arbetsterapeuternas uppfattningar. Resultatet av intervjustudierna visar att informationen om utbudet behöver förbättras och att man efterfrågade bättre uppföljning av de förskrivningar som skett. Kunskapen om webbaserade tjänster var begränsad men man tyckte att de verkade bra, framförallt för andra än sig själv. Man ansåg vidare att de produkter och den teknologi som man fått ta del av behöver utvecklas så att de blir mer användarvänliga, men att det man erhållit gav säkerhet, trygghet och självständighet. Sammanfattningsvis kan inte nog betonas vikten av att utgå från anhörigvårdarnas egna uppfattningar om aktuella aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar för att kunna ge relevant information och rätt stöd för vårdandet i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster.

Bakgrund: Inom ramen för regeringens utvecklingsprogram "Teknik för äldre" har Hjälpmedelsinstitutet (HI) tilldelats 6 miljoner kronor/år under en treårsperiod, med början 2007, för uppdraget att utveckla kunskap inom området "Teknik för anhöriga som hjälper och vårdar närstående". I uppdraget ingår att genomföra en behovsstudie via enkäter och intervjuer med anhöriga för att få bättre kunskap om anhörigas situation i fråga om hjälpmedel och annat teknikstöd. HI beviljade i november 2007 medarbetare vid Hälsohögskolan i Jönköping, avdelningen för rehabilitering, utvecklingsstöd under en tvåårsperiod för att utföra denna behovsinventering. Syfte: Syftet med projektet är att kartlägga och beskriva de behov av stöd som anhörig-närståendevårdarna har av produkter och/eller teknologi samt webbaserade tjänster, när de vårdare en äldre person över 65 år i hemmet samt att kartlägga i vilken utsträckning erhållet stöd motsvarar behoven. Metod: Datainsamling sker genom ett frågeformulär som har skickas ut till ca 1000 anhörigvårdare/närståendevårdare och 1000 arbetsterapeuter runt om i Sverige. Intervjuer med ett mindre antal anhörigvårdare/närståendevårdare (ca 60) i Jönköpings län kommer också att genomföras. Förväntat resultat: Tydliggörande av behov och erfarenheter av produkter och/eller teknologi samt webbaserade tjänster i hemmet hos olika grupper av anhörig-/närståendevårdare till personer över 65 år. Dessutom avser projektet att belysa i vilken utsträckning de hjälpmedel som förskrivs motsvarar de behov som finns. I sin förlängning kan projektet leda till utveckling av nya produkter och ny teknologi. Konklusion: Projektet är pågående.

Syftet med projektet var att ta reda på om erhållet stöd i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster motsvarar de behov som anhörigvårdare har när de vårdar en person över 65 år i hemmet. Enkäter med nationell spridning angående aktivitetsbegränsningar, behov av stöd och erhållet stöd besvarades av 368 anhörigvårdare och 332 arbetsterapeuter, som mött anhörigvårdare inom tjänsten. Dessutom intervjuades 58 anhörigvårdare från två län individuellt. Resultatet av enkätstudierna visar att anhörigvårdare uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den person de vårdar i högre grad än vad de ansåg sig ha behov av stöd i form av produkter/teknologi och webbaserade tjänster. De angav dock behov av stöd i större omfattning än vad de uppgav att de erhållit. Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar i högre grad än arbetsterapeuterna inom samtliga nio aktivitetsområden i WHO:s klassifikation över funktionstillstånd, funktionshinder och hälsa (ICF). Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade behov av produkter/teknologi i något större utsträckning eller i lika stor utsträckning som arbetsterapeuterna. Undantagen var förflyttning och personlig vård, där arbetsterapeuterna uppfattade behoven av produkter/teknologi som större än anhörigvårdarna. När det gäller webbaserade tjänster var underlaget alltför bristfälligt för att möjliggöra jämförelse mellan anhörigvårdarnas och arbetsterapeuternas uppfattningar. Resultatet av intervjustudierna visar att informationen om utbudet behöver förbättras och att man efterfrågade bättre uppföljning av de förskrivningar som skett. Kunskapen om webbaserade tjänster var begränsad men man tyckte att de verkade bra, framförallt för andra än sig själv. Man ansåg vidare att de produkter och den teknologi som man fått ta del av behöver utvecklas så att de blir mer användarvänliga, men att det man erhållit gav säkerhet, trygghet och självständighet. Sammanfattningsvis kan inte nog betonas vikten av att utgå från anhörigvårdarnas egna uppfattningar om aktuella aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar för att kunna ge relevant information och rätt stöd för vårdandet i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster.

Syftet med projektet var att ta reda på om erhållet stöd i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster motsvarar de behov som anhörigvårdare har när de vårdar en person över 65 år i hemmet. Enkäter med nationell spridning angående aktivitetsbegränsningar, behov av stöd och erhållet stöd besvarades av 368 anhörigvårdare och 332 arbetsterapeuter, som mött anhörigvårdare inom tjänsten. Dessutom intervjuades 58 anhörigvårdare från två län individuellt. Resultatet av enkätstudierna visar att anhörigvårdare uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den person de vårdar i högre grad än vad de ansåg sig ha behov av stöd i form av produkter/teknologi och webbaserade tjänster. De angav dock behov av stöd i större omfattning än vad de uppgav att de erhållit. Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar i högre grad än arbetsterapeuterna inom samtliga nio aktivitetsområden i WHO:s klassifikation över funktionstillstånd, funktionshinder och hälsa (ICF). Anhörigvårdarna uppfattade behov av produkter/teknologi i något större utsträckning eller i lika stor utsträckning som arbetsterapeuterna. Undantagen var förflyttning och personlig vård, där arbetsterapeuterna uppfattade behoven av produkter/teknologi som större än anhörigvårdarna. När det gäller webbaserade tjänster var underlaget alltför bristfälligt för att möjliggöra jämförelse mellan anhörigvårdarnas och arbetsterapeuternas uppfattningar. Resultatet av intervjustudierna visar att informationen om utbudet behöver förbättras och att man efterfrågade bättre uppföljning av de förskrivningar som skett. Kunskapen om webbaserade tjänster var begränsad men man tyckte att de verkade bra, framförallt för andra än sig själv. Man ansåg vidare att de produkter och den teknologi som man fått ta del av behöver utvecklas så att de blir mer användarvänliga, men att det man erhållit gav säkerhet, trygghet och självständighet. Sammanfattningsvis kan inte nog betonas vikten av att utgå från anhörigvårdarnas egna uppfattningar om aktuella aktivitetsbegränsningar hos den de vårdar för att kunna ge relevant information och rätt stöd för vårdandet i form av produkter, teknologi och webbaserade tjänster.

This study describes the transformation of 15 occupational therapist students’ paradigms into occupational therapists’ paradigms according to Törnebohm’s theory of paradigms, over a period of six years. This research particularly considers the paradigm components world view and field of action view in Törnbohm’s sense. Qualitative data were collected using essay-questions on three occasions: first week, and last semester, at the Occupational Therapy Programme at the School of Health Sciences, Jönköping, Sweden, and after three years of occupational therapy practice. A content-analysis of the collected materials was performed and the transformation of the informants’ views could be characterized as comprising three different perspectives: a ‘public’ view in 1995, a ‘theoretical’ view in 1998 and an ‘experiential/contextual’ view in 2001.

Studien handlar om paradigmutveckling hos arbetsterapeutstudenter, senare arbetsterapeuter, under en sexårsperiod. Speciellt studeras deras världsbild och verksamhetssyn enligt Törnebohms paradigmteori. Kvalitativ data samlades in genom essäfrågor, första veckan och sista terminen på arbetsterapeutprogrammet vid Hälsohögskolan i Jönköping, samt efter tre års yrkespraktik. Genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys framträdde informanternas syn på arbetsterapi vilken kan karaktäriseras som "allmänhetens syn" 1995, "teoretisk syn" 1998 och en "erfarenhetsbaserad/kontextuell syn" 2001.

The aim of this study was to identify and characterise conceptions of health in a group of experienced occupational therapists. Data-collection involved the occupational therapists´ personal accounts of the meaning of health and data analysis was accomplished qualitatively. The material was found to comprise 52 distinguishable articulations of the meaning of health, which were categorized under three main themes: 22 articulations of Health as “feeling fine“; 20 articulations of Health as ability to act; and 10 articulations of Health as an objective state of body and/or mind. The results show a very strong tendency towards holistic health conceptions and also toward a phenomenological view on the body. If this tendency should be taken to reflect current basic views within the profession this would indicate a movement away from biomedical frames of reference on the theoretical level. This would seem to imply consequent movements on the practice level away from organ focused interventions to the benefit of interventions in the person/context dimension of occupational performance. Studies of processes of change seem to be needed and we suggest that a paradigm theory approach probably be most pertinent.

The objectives of this study were to inquire into notions of health among a group of 439 Swedish occupational therapists and to test a model derived from a qualitative study by Björklund and Svensson in a representative sample of occupational therapists in Sweden. The data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The means and ranking of the health notions showed that the Swedish occupational therapists most frequently hold holistic notions of health, and to a smaller extent biostatistical ones. Most Swedish occupational therapists indicate that being clearly conscious of one’s health notions is important both to themselves and to their profession. The test of the model provides a step towards developing an instrument for measuring notions of health that clearly distinguishes between holistic and biomedical ones and that could possibly be used for comparative studies.

BACKGROUND: In 2020 the Swedish Government started a gradual raising of the retirement age, but employers have been silent on the issue. Little is known about whether and how they reflect on what it will mean for their organization, or whether they already have, or are going to, make arrangements in order to facilitate and motivate older workers to stay longer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore and describe managers' experiences of older workers and age management in connection with the increase of the retirement age in Sweden.

METHODS: Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with fourteen managers from a broad set of organizations in the public and private sectors, and from the Middle and East of Sweden. The transcribed material was analysed in line with qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: The analysis ended up in seven main categories with associated sub-categories: Older Workers, Retirement Ages, Transition Initiatives, Competence Transfer, Competence Development, Increased Retirement Ages, Knowledge Gaps.

CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that there is an ambivalence in addressing the issue of age among the interviewed managers, what we have interpreted and labelled as "silent age discrimination", and it was shown that they do not have elaborated strategies for age management.

Background: With a growing share of older people in almost every population, discussions are being held worldwide about how to guarantee welfare in the immediate future. Different solutions are suggested, but in this article the focus is on the need to keep older employees active in the labor market for a prolonged time.

Objective: The aim was to find out and describe the incentives at three system levels for older people 1) wanting, 2) being able, and 3) being allowed to work.

Material: The literature search embraced articles from the databases Scopus, PsycInfo, Cinahl, AgeLine and Business Source Premier, from May 2004 until May 2016. After the removal of 507 duplicates, the selection and analysis started with the 1331 articles that met the search criteria. Of these, 58 articles corresponded with the research questions.

Method: The design was a ‘scoping review’ of the research area bridge employment and prolonged work life.

Results: The results show that most investigations are conducted on individual-level predictors, research on organizational-level predictors is more scattered, and societal-level predictor information is scarce.

Conclusions: Attitudes and behavior according to a prolonged work life could be summarized as dependent on good health, a financial gain in combination with flexible alternative working conditions.

BACKGROUND: The ageing population has initiated a debate about a prolonged working life. There is an interest in finding the pre-retirement predictors of bridge employment and retirement decisions, but the understanding of the experiences of bridge employees is still limited.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe the characteristics of the pensioners working for a staffing agency, their motivational aspects, work patterns and types of services they provided.

METHODS: This article analyses the results from a Swedish staffing agency's yearly co-worker questionnaire from December 2017. The response rate was 44% (N = 1741). The design is descriptive, with correlation analyses and construction of typical cases.

RESULTS: Most study participants were aged 65-74 years. Sixty-five percent were men, 66% were cohabitating/married, dominating education level was secondary school or higher education (79% ). Important incentives for working were the social context and to gain extra income. A majority of the respondents also stated that their work increased their overall well-being. Seventy-eight percent worked 25 hours per month or less, 37% wanted to work more, 3% wanted to work less. Private services dominated with 61% ; most common were gardening (43% ), trades (33%) and cleaning (31% ).

CONCLUSIONS: More men than women chose this form of work. While single women need to work out of economic necessity, men, to a larger extent, work for the social context and well-being. The highest work frequency in 2017 (14%) in the population was found for those who retired in 2015, i.e. two years after their retirement year. A majority indicated that the work they were doing was different from earlier in their working life.

Background: Art therapy is based mainly on clinical experience and is rarely described and evaluated scientifically. There is a need for further exploration of its use in patients with depression.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore what experts consider to be the main aspects of art therapy in clinical practice for patients with depression.

Method: Eighteen occupational therapists experienced and educated in art therapy participated. The experts answered three rounds of Delphi questionnaires and ranked their agreement with 74 assertions. Consensus was defined as 70% or higher.

Results: The experts agreed more on assertions about theoretical frames of reference than about clinical practice. The main aspects of art therapy were agreed to be the patients’ opportunity to express themselves verbally and through making art. It was equally important that art tasks provided an opportunity to address depressive thoughts, feelings, life experiences, and physical symptoms.

Conclusions: Experts in the field of art therapy considered that the main aspect of clinical practice in art therapy for patients with depression is that art themes should promote expression related to both to depression and personal history.

Depression is a serious disease affecting an individual's entire life-situation, which can lead to great suffering and a reduced level of activity in everyday life. The aim of this study is to explore and describe how art therapy works regarding therapeutic factors, application, and circumstances for clients with depression. A systematic literature search of relevant databases was carried out to find articles concerning art therapy for depression, meeting criteria for reproducibility. This yielded 16 articles published in seven journals. The art therapy methods employed in each selected study were then examined and compared in order to understand the healing mechanism or mechanisms. These healing mechanisms are here termed “therapeutic factors”. The analysis resulted in eight therapeutic factors; self-exploration, self-expression, communication, understanding and explanation, integration, symbolic thinking, creativity, and sensory stimulation. No general conclusions could be drawn regarding circumstances, but the results indicate that art therapy can be performed successfully in a wide variety of clinical situations. The results were discussed in relation to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core sets for depression.

Purpose: The concept of security is related to the experience of health but has ever so often been argued from a risk perspective rather than from a promotional perspective. The experience of older persons’ sense of security in private homes and in nursing homes seems to be missing when it comes to promote aging well throughout the life span. This study aimed to describe and analyze factors related to the sense of security of older persons receiving care in nursing homes in Sweden. Design and Methods: The study was based on a questionnaire from a total of 495 persons aged ≥ 65 in private homes (n = 350) or nursing homes (n = 145) in Sweden. Results: Secure relationships, sense of control, and perceived health were significantly related to the subjects’ sense of security. No significant relationships were found between sense of security and having a personal emergency response alarm. Implications: Experience of sense of security from the older person perspective differs depending on the context. To promote the sense of security within the care of older persons, methods on how to establish secure relations as well as the sense of control and knowledge need to be further tested, developed and analyzed together with older persons.

Sense of security is important throughout the lifespan not at least in advanced age with increased risks of functional declines and decreased social capital. Despite this, knowledge concerning older person’s perceptions and experiences of sense of security when moving into nursing homes is scarce. This study is a longitudinal, descriptive, exploratory case study with in-depth interviews and observations of three older persons in the age of 87, 88, and 91 years in a mid-sized municipality in the south of Sweden, in order to highlight how sense of security is experienced when moving into and living in a nursing home. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis, which resulted in one main theme and four categories. The main theme, ‘Adaptation and sense of security’, indicates older persons’ need to adapt to the new context of the nursing home, and how this relates to their sense of security. The categories – ‘Control’, ‘Struggling for understanding’, ‘Lack of influence’, and ‘Grasping’ – suggest that older persons’ sense of security is reduced when they must adjust to routines without sufficient management and understanding. When able to maintain control over daily routines, and felt as a part of the new context, they perceived a sense of security.

BACKGROUND: As they age, older persons prefer to continue to live in their own homes. Sensors in the environment and/or bodily worn systems that monitor people might contribute to an increased sense of safety and security at home, but also raise concerns about the loss of privacy by surveillance. Little is known about how older persons, living at home independently and stating good health, perceive monitoring technology in terms of personal privacy.

OBJECTIVE: to identify and describe how older persons, perceive monitoring technology in terms of personal privacy.

METHOD: A qualitative study based on five focus group interviews was used. Concepts of "freedom" and "surveillance" were used as content areas in the data analysis.

RESULTS: The results comprised three categories of ambivalence; "independence vs. security", "privacy vs. intrusion", and "in the best interest of me vs. in the best interest of others". These three categories merged into the overarching theme "maintaining a sense of self" which illustrates a desire to maintain control of one's life as long as possible.

CONCLUSIONS: Older persons generally have positive feelings and attitudes toward technology and strive to maintaining a sense of self as long as possible, by having control. They stated high value to privacy, but valued being watched over if it ensured security. To feel good and bad about monitoring technologies, rather than good or does not necessarily lead to feelings of conflict.

(PERS) alarms have been used in Sweden since 1974 to enable older people to age safely at home. Despite this long use, we found no studies describing independent older users’ opinions of these devices.

Aim Our aim was to describe how people living in Swedish independent senior housing perceive the alarms and to highlight their wishes for further developments and innovations.

Methods We conducted five focus group interviews with residents of senior housing who used or had used a PERS alarm and analysed the data qualitatively for latent content.

Results The data analysis revealed five themes in participants’ opinions and feelings about the PERS alarms: (i) safety, (ii) anxiety, (iii) satisfaction, (iv) being informed, and (v) older persons as active innovators.

Conclusion The 40-year-old Swedish PERS used in senior housing seems to limit rather than liberate users in their daily lives and cause feelings of insecurity rather than security. Older Swedish people require a more personalized alarm with a built-in positioning system that would allow them a greater range of movement beyond their homes.