| 1. |
- Apler, Anna, 1980-
(författare)
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Dispersal and environmental impact of contaminants in organic rich, fibrous sediments of industrial origin in the Baltic Sea
- 2018
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The health of the Baltic Sea is negatively affected by hazardous substances such as metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which include legacy pollutants that were banned decades ago, but still circulate in the ecosystem. Elevated levels of legacy pollutants, identified by HELCOM as key hazardous substances, have been found in accumulations of fibrous sediments, so-called fiberbanks and fiber-rich sediments, which derive from old pulp mills along the Swedish north coast. The fiberbanks are deposited in shallow water and bathymetrical models show evidence of their erosion, potentially caused by propeller wash, submarine landslides and gas ebullition. This thesis addresses the potential dispersal of key substances from three fiberbank sites located in a non-tidal Swedish estuary, in which metals and POPs are present in concentrations that may pose a risk for benthic organisms. Metals and POPs are partitioned to organic material and, as expected, show the highest partitioning coefficients (KD) in fiberbanks that have higher TOC levels compared to adjacent areas with fiber-rich sediments (natural clay sediments mixed up with fibers) or relatively unaffected postglacial clays. However, many analytes were found to be present in quantifiable concentrations in pore water, which indicates diffusion of substances from the solid phase to the aqueous phase. To assess the dispersive influence of an abrupt erosional event on dispersion, metals were measured in undisturbed bottom water and in bottom water disturbed by artificial re-suspension of fibrous sediments. The bioavailable, dissolved fraction of metals decreased in bottom water after re-suspension, probably due to the particle concentration effect. In contrast, the total concentrations of metals and number of quantifiable metals increased with particle concentration caused by re-suspension. At one station, the total concentration of chromium (Cr) was elevated to a level where it may lower the ecological status of the water body during periods of substantial erosion (e.g. spring floods or submarine landslides). Analyses of disturbed bottom water revealed, however, that minerogenic particles were preferentially re-suspended compared to organic. This suggests that physical erosion and re-suspension of fiberbank sediments might have a larger effect on dispersal of metals than on POPs.
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| 2. |
- Bladh, Marie
(författare)
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Birth Characteristics’ Impacton Future Reproduction and Morbidity Among Twins an dSingletons
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globally, in both developed and developing countries, the twinning rates have increased since the early 70’s. A large proportion of twins are born preterm and/or small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and/or with a low birth weight. Several studies have been performed on the long-term effect of these non-optimal birth characteristics on future reproductive performance and morbidity. Yet, most studies exclude twins or higher order pregnancies and thus the findings are based on singleton pregnancies only.The aim of the present thesis was therefore to investigate the impact of non-optimal birth characteristics in terms of preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, and low birth weight, on the reproductive pattern and morbidity among twins and singletons Furthermore, the present thesis attempted to establish whether twins and singletons were affected in the same manner.The studies included in this thesis are prospective population-based register studies, including all men and women, alive and living in Sweden at age 13, who were born between 1973 and 1983 (1,000,037 singletons and 16,561 twins) for the first three studies with follow-up till the end of 2006 and 2009. The last study included all men and women, alive and living in Sweden at age 13, who were born between 1973 and 1993 (2,051,479 singletons and 39,726 twins) with follow-up till the end of 2012.In general, twins were found less likely to reproduce between 13 and 33 years of age compared with singletons. Stratifying data by different birth characteristics, it was found that twins had a lower likelihood of reproducing on several different birth characteristics (appropriate-for-gestational-age, normal birth weight, low birth weight, term birth, preterm birth). However, twins born very preterm had an increased likelihood of reproducing compared with singletons born very preterm.Not taking birth characteristics into account, twinning was associated with a higher degree of hospitalization. However, accounting for the diverging birth characteristics this difference diminished and for some diagnoses the relationship was reversed such that twins were actually less likely to be hospitalized compared with singletons.In terms of the heritability of non-optimal birth characteristics singleton mothers born preterm were more predisposed to give birth to a child that was preterm while singleton mothers born SGA more often gave birth to a child either born preterm or SGA. Among twins this heritability was not as evident. The only difference observed was among twin mothers born SGA who were more likely to give birth to a child born SGA.In the extended cohort comprising those born between 1973 and 1993, male and female twins were found to be less likely to become parents compared with singletons. No difference was found among women in terms of having a second child, while male twins were more likely to have a second child compared with male singletons. It was also found that the likelihood of becoming a first-time parent and second-time parent was positively associated with the number of siblings.
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| 3. |
- Sundström, Malin
(författare)
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Existentiell ensamhet hos sköra äldre personer : vårdpersonals och volontärers erfarenheter och behov av stöd
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of the thesis was to explore healthcare professionals’ and volunteers’ experiences of encountering older persons’ existential loneliness, the significance of the care context, and first-line managers’ view of support. Three of the studies were qualitative with a descriptive design (studies I–III) and the fourth was quantitative with a cross-sectional design (Study IV). The data collection for studies I and II was based on focus group interviews with healthcare professionals (i.e., nurse assistant, registered nurse, physician, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social counsellor, and social worker) in home care, residential care, hospital care, palliative care, primary care, and pre-hospital care. The data collection for Study III was based on focus group interviews and individual interviews with volunteers from various organisations. Study IV was based on a questionnaire sent to first-line managers in municipal care, examining their views of support for staff and volunteers encountering existential issues among older persons. The findings of Study I indicated that, during the everyday care of older people, healthcare professionals experienced existential loneliness in various ways and situations related to ageing, illness, and end of life. The professionals’ stories about encountering older persons’ existential loneliness revealed that they often felt insecure about how to talk about existential issues. They also felt inadequate and frustrated when encountering barriers such as the older person’s bodily limitations, demands and needs (perceived as insatiable), personal privacy, or fear and difficulty in encountering existential issues. Study II was a multiple case study of the care contexts of home care, residential care, hospital care, and palliative care. The findings indicated that the care context matters regarding professionals’ views and interpretations of the origin of existential loneliness. In home care and residential care, these views and interpretations concerned life, the present, and the past. In hospital and palliative care, existential loneliness mainly concerned the older person’s forthcoming death. Professionals considered creating relationships an important part of their role in all care contexts, although the meanings, purposes, and conditions of these relationships differed (Study II). Study III showed that being a volunteer meant being a fellow human being, alleviating others’ and one’s own loneliness. Becoming a volunteer was 11 12 a way of finding meaning, and volunteering made the volunteers feel rewarded and simultaneously emotionally challenged. Encountering loneliness, including existential loneliness, required sensitivity to others’ needs for both closeness and distance. The findings of Study IV, based on a questionnaire, indicated that 88% of the first-line managers found that older persons sometimes or often expressed existential loneliness. They also reported that staff insecurity was the major obstacle to talking about existential issues with the older persons. Support was provided in the form of structured reflection, but provision of systematic supervision was reported by only 6% of first-line managers. The managers reported that most support was provided by themselves or by registered nurses. Almost half of the managers (44%) reported that, at their units, volunteers were engaged in activities such as everyday conversations and/or music/entertainment. In addition, they also reported a desire for volunteers to be more involved in both everyday and existential conversations. In conclusion, one of the most important findings of this thesis was the insecurity of the professionals, manifested in a fear of discussing existential issues. This was revealed in the interviews with the professionals and confirmed by the first-line managers. According to both professionals and volunteers, the relationship with the older person was important when encountering existential issues. The thesis demonstrates the importance of helping professionals focus on existential issues about life and death and of the potential of volunteers as an important complement in the care of older people.
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| 4. |
- Wolgast, Emelie, 1982-
(författare)
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Drug use during pregnancy with focus on antidepressants
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: More than half of pregnant women use at least one prescribed medication during pregnancy, and almost all pregnant women use some kind of over-the-counter medication. Depression is one of the most common diseases in the world today, also during the peripartum period. The prevalence of pregnant women using antidepressant medication is increasing. General knowledge about the use of medication during pregnancy needs to improve. The overall aim of the studies on which this thesis is based is therefore to examine different aspects of medication use during pregnancy, with a focus on antidepressants.Material and methods: Study I was a questionnaire study where 850 pregnant women were asked about their perceptions on medication use during pregnancy. In Study II, plasma samples from 200 women were obtained at gestational weeks 10-12 and 25, and screened for drugs. The results of the analysis were compared with medication use noted in antenatal medical care records. Study III was a national register‐based cohort study including 262,329 pregnant women, and their first child born in 2012-2015. Maternal obstetric and neonatal outcomes were studied in three groups: women diagnosed with depression and who had redeemed an antidepressant before becoming pregnant and women who were diagnosed with depression and who had redeemed an antidepressant both before and during pregnancy, were compared with each other and with women who had neither been diagnosed with depression nor been prescribed antidepressants. Study IV was a pharmacokinetic study that included 81 pregnant women with ongoing antidepressant medical treatment. Antidepressant drug and metabolite concentrations were measured throughout pregnancy. Participants were genotyped for enzymes involved in antidepressant drug metabolism, i.e. CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. Results and conclusions: The majority of pregnant women in our study considered the use of medication during pregnancy as either “probably harmful” or “harmful”, and this perception was associated with non-use of medication. The women had high confidence in health care professionals when seeking advice about medication.There was a good coherence between reported drug intake in antenatal care records and presence of the drug in the pregnant women’s blood. For drugs prescribed for continuous use the coherence was 100%; thus, the reported use of medication in antenatal records is reliable. Women with major depressive disorder and antidepressant medication prior to becoming pregnant were at increased risk for adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes compared with women without major depressive disorder. Continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy somewhat increased the risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. The dose-adjusted concentrations of sertraline and citalopram and their metabolites, did not change significantly throughout pregnancy. Observed concentrations of escitalopram, mirtazapine and venlafaxine did not appear to change.
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| 5. |
- Corneliusson, Laura, 1989-
(författare)
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Exploring resident health, wellbeing, and thriving in Swedish sheltered housing
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: As the population of older people is expected to increase in the coming decades, an increase in service demand will likely follow. Aging in place is common in Sweden, but may be associated with loneliness, anxiety, and other negative health effects. Swedish sheltered housing began to emerge around 2008, and was aimed at older people who felt socially isolated, anxious, or unsafe aging in place. Swedish sheltered housing was to be a form of independent housing, providing accommodation with increased opportunities for social participation and accessible spaces, but with no provision of health care services. Despite the emergence of such housing, and policy documents outlining anticipated benefits, the national and international scientific body of knowledge is small.Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the health, wellbeing and thriving of residents living in Swedish sheltered housing.Methods: This thesis is based on data from two data collections and registry data. The first data collection, the U-Age Sheltered Housing Survey Study, took place between October 2016 and January 2017, and consisted of surveys sent to residents living in Swedish sheltered housing, and to a matched control group. The matching criteria was age, sex and municipality of residence. The sample for the U-Age Sheltered Housing Survey Study consisted of 3,805 individuals: 1, 955 individuals living in sheltered housing, and 1,850 aging in place. The second data collection took place between April 2019 and January 2020, and consisted of semi-structured interviews in five sheltered housing accommodations which had participated in the U-age Sheltered Housing Survey Study. This data collection consisted of a total of seven group interviews with a sample of 38 residents. In addition, to enable longitudinal analyses, registry data on social services resource utilization and mortality was obtained from The Department of Health and Welfare in Sweden and Statistics Sweden. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression analyses with interaction variables, logistic regressions, and qualitative content analysis.Results: Residents living in Swedish sheltered housing generally reported lower self-rated health, lower health-related quality of life, lower functional status, and higher depressive mood, compared to those aging in place. With increasing level of depressive mood, and decreasing levels of self-rated health and functional status, those residing in sheltered housing generally reported higher levels of thriving, compared to those aging in place. A higher proportion of those living in Swedish sheltered housing received home care services, and received on average more home care service hours, compared to those aging in place. Furthermore, a higher proportion of residents living in sheltered housing had relocated to a nursing home and deceased over a 3-year period, compared to those aging in place. Rates of relocation to a nursing home and mortality were higher among those who lived in Swedish sheltered housing and received home care services, compared to those living in Swedish sheltered housing who did not receive home care services. Interviews with residents living in Swedish sheltered housing revealed four different levels to the experienced facilitators and barriers to thriving in Swedish sheltered housing: individual factors, social context, environmental factors and organizational context.Conclusions: There seems to be both a want, and a potential need, for health care related support among residents living in Swedish sheltered housing. Although residents in Swedish sheltered housing reported slightly lower self-rated wellbeing than older people aging in place, differences in wellbeing did not seem to be explained by type of accommodation per se. There do however seem to be aspects in Swedish sheltered housing that support thriving specifically among those with lower levels of health, lower functional status, and higher depressive mood, when compared to those aging in place. It seems possible that thriving in Swedish sheltered housing may be influenced by the interplay of various especially influential aspects, such as, but not limited to, levels of health, the services provided, the experience of the social environment, and the perceived support. Thereby, providing residents of Swedish sheltered housing with more health care related support and information could further support resident health and thriving. The findings of this thesis contribute to the currently limited pool of knowledge on health, wellbeing, and thriving in Swedish sheltered housing, and may assist in developing tailored services, support, and interventions for the demographic residing in this type of housing.
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| 6. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-
(författare)
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Family caregiving for persons with heart failure : Perspectives of family caregivers, persons with heart failure and registered nurses
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Heart failure is a growing public health problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Family support positively affects outcomes for the person with heart failure while also leading to caregiver burden. Registered nurses have a key role in supporting and meeting the needs of family caregivers.The overall aim was to explore the situation and needs of family caregivers to a person with heart failure, and explore requisites and ways of supporting and involving family caregivers in heart failure nursing care.Two interview studies, one web survey study and one intervention study were conducted between 2012 and 2017. A total of 22 family caregivers, eight persons with heart failure and 331 registered nurses participated in the studies.Family caregivers' daily life was characterized by worry, uncertainty and relational incongruence but salutogenic behaviours restored new strength and motivation to care. Family caregivers experienced that their caregiving was taken for granted by health care professionals. Family caregivers expressed a need for a permanent health care contact and more involvement in the planning and implementation of their near one’s health care together with health care professionals. Registered nurses acknowledged family caregivers’ burden, lack of knowledge and relational incongruence. A registered nurse was suggested as a permanent health care contact to improve continuity and security. Registered nurses neither acknowledged family caregivers as a resource nor their need for involvement. Registered nurses working in primary health care centres, in nurse-led heart failure clinics, with district nurse specialization, with education in cardiac nursing care held the most supportive attitudes toward family involvement in heart failure nursing care. Family health conversations via telephone in nurse-led heart failure clinics were found to successfully support and involve families. The conversations enhanced nurse-family relationship and relations within the family. They also provided registered nurses with new, relevant knowledge and understanding about the family as a whole. Family health conversations via telephone were feasible to both families and registered nurses, although fewer and shorter conversations were preferred by registered nurses.This thesis highlights the divergence between family caregivers’ experiences and needs, and registered nurses’ perceptions about family caregivers’ situation and attitudes toward the importance of family involvement. It adds to the knowledge on the importance to acknowledge family caregivers as a resource and to support and involve them in heart failure nursing care. One feasible and successful way is to conduct Family health conversations via telephone in nurse-led heart failure clinics.
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| 7. |
- Pusa, Susanna, 1982-
(författare)
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Vägen mot implementering av familjecentrerad omvårdnad
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Bakgrund: När människor är inkluderade i varandras liv påverkar en förändring av livssituationen hos en person även de övriga personerna som står den nära. Det innebär att när en person drabbas av ohälsa eller sjukdom påverkas även personens familj. Familjens upplevelse av den situation som uppstår i samband med ohälsa kan dessutom negativt påverka familjemedlemmarnas medvetenhet om familjens tillgängliga styrkor och resurser, vilket i sin tur kan påverka familjers kamp för att återfå och bibehålla hälsa. Traditionellt sett har vården fokuserat på att erbjuda stöd på personnivå, och främst då till patienter. De senaste decennierna har dock en tendens uppmärksammats till ökad förståelse för att hela familjen behöver inkluderas i omvårdnaden. Att anamma ett familjecentrerat förhållningssätt – det vill säga, att se och möta familjen som en enhet och som ett system – har visat sig ha flera fördelar utifrån såväl patient- och familje- som sjuksköterskeperspektiv. Detta har medfört en efterfrågan på forskning om hur familjecentrerad omvårdnad kan läras ut och implementeras i den kliniska hälso- och sjukvården.Syfte: Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen är att belysa erfarenheter av stöd från distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor till familjer i ordinärt boende, samt att utvärdera implementering av familjecentrerade samtal.Metod: Avhandlingen inkluderar tre studier med kvalitativ design och en studie med mixad-metod design. I delstudie I samlades data in genom tio fokusgruppintervjuer med 36 distriktssköterskor och analyserades sedan med en fenomenologisk hermeneutisk metod. Datainsamlingen för delstudie II bestod av ljudinspelade familjecentrerade samtal med sju familjer, samt sju avslutande brev riktade till familjerna som distriktssköterskorna/sjuksköterskorna skrev efter samtalen med familjerna. Familjesamtalen och breven analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. I delstudie III analyserades individuella intervjuer med 21 distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Mixad metod användes i delstudie IV, där kvantitativa data från instrumentet Families’ Importance in Nursing Care – Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) integrerades med kvalitativa data från individuella intervjuer med 14 distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor.Resultat: Resultatet visar att distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor strävar efter att stödja familjer (I, IV) och att familjecentrerad omvårdnad i form av familjecentrerade samtal kan vara ett sätt att stöda familjer att dela med sig av sina upplevelser och känslor både inom familjen och med distriktssköterskan/ sjuksköterskan (II, IV). Det upplevda stödet från såväl familjen som distriktssköterskan/sjuksköterskan ansågs värdefullt för att bättre hantera situationen och framtiden (II). Distriktssköterskorna/sjuksköterskorna uppfattade den webbaserade utbildningen i familjecentrerad omvårdnad inklusive familjecentrerade samtal som överlag funktionell och välanpassad (III). Utbildningen med den påföljande implementeringen beskrevs bidra till ett förändrat förhållningssätt hos dem, där de tänkte och arbetade mer inkluderande och stödjande gentemot familjer, även när de inte utförde familjecentrerade samtal enligt den tänkta strukturen (III, IV). Utvärderingen av implementeringen av de familjecentrerade samtalen visade att införandet av familjecentrerade samtal fortgick även om de inte hade implementerats fullt ut som avsett. Acceptans och lämplighet utvärderades överlag positivt, dock framkom personliga, sociala och organisatoriska hinder, vilka påverkade genomförandet, användningen och metodtroheten (IV).Konklusion: Stöd från distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor till familjer är en omvårdnadshandling som förutsätter medveten omsorg i ett aktivt möte med familjen, där varje enskild person, men även familjen som enhet, behöver beaktas. Detta stöd för familjers hälsa kan ske genom familjecentrerad omvårdnad. En webbaserad utbildning för distriktssköterskor/sjuksköterskor i familjecentrerad omvårdnad och familjecentrerade samtal utgör ett adekvat steg i processen att implementera detta arbetssätt i den kliniska verksamheten. Sammanfattningsvis bidrar avhandlingen till kunskap om hur stödjande familjecentrerade samtal kan implementeras i klinisk verksamhet och vilka aspekter som kan påverka detta.
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| 8. |
- Holmberg, Bodil
(författare)
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När kroppen inte räcker till : Assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad i livets slut på vård- och omsorgsboende
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling var att belysa vård i livets slut på vård- och omsorgsboende, med inriktning mot den kroppsliga omvårdnaden, utifrån äldre personers, undersköterskors och anhörigas perspektiv. Avhandlingen bygger på fyra delstudier. Tre analysmetoder användes;innehållsanalys (I & III), fenomenologisk hermeneutik (II) och fenomenografi(IV). Datainsamlingen omfattade individuella intervjuer (I, II & IV) och observation (III). Fynden visar att; (I) undersköterskor känner de äldre personerna och värnar deras självbestämmande, välbefinnande och värdighet. I sitt arbete fokuserar de främst på kroppslig omvårdnad. Äldre personer (II) upplever kroppslig omvårdnad som en assistans, växelvis i form av ett fängelse eller som en njutning. De värnar sitt självbestämmande, men anpassar sig efter de omständigheter som bestäms av andra. Det är främst undersköterskor som utför assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad (III), medan äldre tar del i det de kan, trots nedsatt kroppslig förmåga. Anhöriga räknar med att äldre personer utövar fullt självbestämmande gällande assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad (IV). Själva bidrar de med en assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad som inte innefattar intimhygien, medan de förblir observanta på undersköterskors arbete. Avhandlingen belyser att assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad kan överbrygga äldres kroppsliga begränsningar och leda till välbefinnande när självbestämmandet främjas. Sådan assisterad kroppslig omvårdnad kan utgöra en väsentlig del av en palliativ omvårdnad för äldre personer på vård- och omsorgsboende i livets slut.
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| 9. |
- Josefsson, Jonathan
(författare)
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Children at the Borders
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the wake of a steady flow of child migrants attempting to cross borders and states’ efforts to restrict immigration, various public controversies have arisen about the rights of asylum-seeking children. The ‘moral gap’ between the outcome of democratically enacted laws and the aim of controlling immigration, on the one hand, and public calls to protect the universal rights of asylum seeking children, on the other, have created a political challenge for Western democracies. This thesis sets out to examine two particular settings in which norms about the rights of asylum-seeking children and immigration control have been established and contested over the years: the Swedish Migration Court of Appeal and Sweden’s largest morning paper, Dagens Nyheter. It combines empirically oriented analysis with theoretical enquiry, and it brings the issue of the rights of asylumseeking children into dialogue with the contemporary political-philosophical debate about membership, rights and borders.
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| 10. |
- Kiwi, Mahin, 1954-
(författare)
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Dementia across cultural borders : Reflections and thought patterns of elderly Iranians with dementia in Sweden, their relatives and staff at a culturally profiled nursing home
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Today’s multicultural society has resulted in major changes, with healthcare undergoing significant modifications. Healthcare workers and patients are increasingly confronted with “cultural” backgrounds other than their own. The world’s population is ageing, and the number of people with dementia is growing, resulting in a growing number of older people with a foreign background whose care needs have increased at different rates. Migration does not only mean moving from one place to another; it also involves the transition of an individual’s lifestyle, life views, social and economic adjustments that may lead to certain changes. These transitions from the “old” to the “new” way of life and from a life without dementia to a life with dementia involve making sense of life’s changes.Aim: The aim of study I was to explore the experiences and perceptions of dementia among Iranian staff working in a culturally profiled nursing home (CPNH). The aim of studies II and III was to explore relatives’ decisions to end caregiving at home, and Iranian families’ and relatives’ attitudes towards CPNHs in Sweden. The aim of study (IV) was to explore how the residents with dementia at the CPNH expressed the feeling of “home”.Method: This thesis is based on more than one year’s fieldwork. The empirical material is based on interviews and observations. Three groups of participants were interviewed and observed: 10 people with dementia (IV), 20 family caregivers and relatives (II and III, respectively) and 34 staff members (I). The interviews were conducted in Persian/Farsi, Azerbaijani, English and Swedish. The choice of language was always up to the participants. All the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim in the respective languages and then translated later into Swedish. The analysis of the material was based on content analysis blended with ethnography.Results: Study I shows that people from different culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds could have different perceptions of what dementia entails. A lack of knowledge concerning dementia affects how staff approach these people.Study II shows that the CPNH is crucial when deciding to cease caregiving at home. It is important to ensure that relatives with dementia are cared for by someone who speaks the same mother tongue. The results indicate that positive feelings of relief or comfort are dominant responses among the participants, some of whom even feel pride in the high standard of care provided by the home.In Study III, most participants based their views on a comparison between the CPNH and Iranian nursing homes after the Islamic Revolution. Negative views of the nursing home were evaluated alongside what the respondents considered to be typically Iranian. In Study IV, the results show that people with dementia’s personal experiences of home played a great role, and although none of the participants felt at home, all of them stated that the CPNH was a place to live in.Conclusion: Perceptions of dementia can be based on cultural and traditional understanding, although this can shift through transition and knowledge accumulation. A lack of knowledge concerning dementia and residents’ sociocultural background, generational differences and incoherence, aligned with staff members’ different sociocultural backgrounds, created many challenges. The staff wanted to learn more about dementia, to be able to manage daily communication with the residents. On another point, the staff admitted that only being able to speak a person’s native language was not enough to claim that they were actually communicating. Family caregivers’ decisions to end caregiving at home involve mutuality, capability and management, but decision-making sometimes has nothing to do with violating a person’s autonomy and is more about protecting the person. The family caregivers do care for frail elderly family members. What has changed due to a transition is the structure and construction of family caregiving. The consequences of communication difficulties between staff and the residents have led to a small degree of social involvement, which in turn affects residents’ daily social state. Overall, many family members stated that the CPNH resembled Iran too much, which disturbed them.The residents thought of home as a geographical location, but also connected it with both positive and negative feelings. Furthermore, the CPNH reminded some of the residents of the nicer side of life back home in Iran, while for others it brought back sad experiences and memories from the past. Nevertheless, the nursing home, due to memories and experiences of life in Iran, “home”, was a place to be and to live.
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