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Department of HEALTH CARE SCIENCES
Campus Ersta

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Position:	Head of Department of Health Care Sciences, RNT, PhD, Senior Lecturer
Telephone:	+46 8 555 050 33
Fax:	+46 8 555 050 70
E-mail:	gorel.hansebo(at)esh.se
Address:	Ersta Sköndal University College Department of Health Care Sciences Box 111 89 SE-100 61 Stockholm
Visiting address:	Stigbergsgatan 30

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Main Areas of Research Interest 

- Carers´ approach in nursing care
- Elderly care research
- Different aspects of caring about persons suffering from dementia diseases
- Supervision

The main area of interest is focused on nursing care that is oriented towards interaction between two people and the lived experiences between them. This is the basic relation in which and through nursing care can occur. It is the quality of being that is expressed in the doing, and these are interrelated. Many patients who are old, frail, vulnerable and suffering from dementia are more or less dependent on others, but their remaining capabilities are important to consider. Carers' treatment and approach are very important for a life as good as possible.

This view has been the basis of an intervention study in nursing home wards with the overall aim to evaluate whether or not supervision could influence carers in improving their approach to the older person suffering from dementia. Research questions were:

a) could documentation in nursing records communicate quality of care?

b) in what way could knowledge about the patient influence care quality?

c) could supervision influence carers' approach?

d) could carers' reflections about their every day life in interactions with the patients develop their skills in nursing care?

In nursing care of patients suffering from dementia it is important but difficult to understand and interpret their world in order to protect their integrity and dignity. Validation and reminiscence have become a method to make it easier for the patient to express their world in both verbal- and non-verbal communication. An evaluation of the meaning of the use of validation and reminiscence is planned in co-operation with Lotta Isacs at villa Cederskiöld, Ersta. Furthermore, an intervention study is planned an a home for older persons. The concept of validation is going to be implemented.

Preservation of sexual identity has been seen as very important of institutionalised elderly care. Sexual expression is seen important for the quality of life for all people. Sexuality in elderly care, and especially in dementia care, has not been focused on in the scientific literature. Patients suffering from dementia often express their sexuality in a way that make it difficult for carers in managing the situations. Therefore a research project is planned to explore carers as well as elderly persons opinion about sexuality and elderly people.

The quality of every day life as experienced by elderly people living in nursing homes is explored with a qualitative approach. A qualitative approach is also planned for a study about the influence of outside milieu has on the every day living for persons with severe dementia is planned to be investigated with a qualitative approach

What is district nursing? This is the main question in a licentiate thesis where district nurses were asked to narrate about their lived experiences in their every day work with people in need for district nursing.

A study about cultural aspects in nursing care and its influence in the use of coercion threats and incidents of violence in acute psychiatric practice is organised as a doctoral project in collaboration with two psychiatrists as excperts in the medical area 

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Publications 

Hansebo, G., Kihlgren, M., Ljunggren, G. & Winblad, B. (1998). Staff views on the Resident Assessment Instrument, RAI/MDS in nursing homes, and the use of the Cognitive Performance Scale, CPS, in different levels of care in Stockholm, Sweden. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28, 642-653.

Hansebo, G., Kihlgren, M. & Ljunggren, G. (1999). Review of nursing documentation in nursing home wards - changes after intervention for individualized care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 29, 1462-1473.

Hansebo, G (2000) Assessment of patients' needs and resources as a basis in supervision for individualised nursing care in nursing home wards - evaluation of an intervention study. Dissertation, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm

Hansebo, G. & Kihlgren, M. (2000). Patient life stories and current situation as told by carers in nursing home wards. Clinical Nursing Research, 9, 260-279.

Hansebo, G. & Kihlgren, M. (2001). Carers’ reflections about their video recorded interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 10, 737-747.

Hansebo, G. & Kihlgren, M. (2002). Carers’ interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia – a difficult balance to facilitate mutual togetherness. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 11, 225-236.

Hansebo, G (2002) Handledning - för kunskap, diskussion och reflektion. Äldreomsorg, 7, 15-17 (in Swedish)

Hansebo, G (2003) Interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia is a balancing on a tightrope. (Accepted)

Hansebo, G. & Kihlgren, M (2003) Changes in caregivers' approach after supervision for individualised nursing care in nursing home wards. (Submitted)

Andrée Sundelöf, A., Hansebo, G & Ekman, SL. (2003). The meaning of caring relationship in district nursing - caring communion and friendship. (Submitted)