| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Bielsten, Therése, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
-
Couples’ experiences of using DemPower in everyday life
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Quality in Ageing and Older Adults. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1471-7794. ; 21:3, s. 169-180
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – Interventions aimed at couples where one partner has dementia are often targeting burden, depression and cognitive function and do not focus on relationship and interpersonal issues. Furthermore, interventions within this population do not seem to have embraced a salutogenic and authentic dyadic approach where both partners’ experiences are considered. To address this gap, a self-management app, DemPower, which was piloted and tested among couples where one partner has dementia living at home, has been developed. This study explores couples‘ everyday experiences of engaging with the DemPower.Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews with couples were analysed using thematic analysis.Findings – The findings resulted in the following themes: growth of the relationship; we are not alone; and positive approach. The findings indicated that the experiences of a salutogenic and dyadic intervention can contribute to the feelings of empowerment, satisfaction of couples’ achievements and a sense of support through peers and with the intervention itself.Originality/value – The findings of this study indicate that couples where one partner has dementia appreciate interventions that focuses on a salutogenic approach to their everyday life and relationship. The dyadic intervention contributed to feelings of empowerment, satisfaction of couples’ achievements and a sense of support through peers and through the intervention itself. Discussing, inventory and focus on strengths, resources and quality of life can therefore give couples insight in their growth of the relationship and their transitions during the dementia trajectory. Furthermore, this study can serve as an eye opener in health care for the type of support couples need and wishes to receive. This means that care for people with dementia and partners should adopt a more health-promoting approach.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bielsten, Therése, 1978-
(författare)
-
“Doing things together” : Towards a health promoting approach to couples’ relationships and everyday life in dementia
- 2020
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Most people with dementia live in their own homes, often together with their partners, who become informal caregivers. Relationship quality and sense of couplehood can be threatened as a result of the transition from a mutually interdependent relationship to a caregiver-care-receiver relationship. This, in turn, may lead to many negative consequences for both partners. Support provided for couples is often divided into different types for the person with dementia and for the partner without dementia and lacks couple-based support that targets the relationship, resources and the couple’s everyday life together. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis is to explore couple-centred interventions in dementia and to develop and test a salutogenic, resource-oriented and couple-based intervention among couples in which one partner has dementia living at home. Methods and findings: This thesis comprises three parts: The first part Exploring involves two linked reviews, one narrative review (study I A) and one scoping review (study I B) that aim to identify and describe what previous couple-centred interventions comprised and why they were conducted. The results of the reviews revealed a knowledge gap in and a need for easily accessible support that targets couple relationships, resources and everyday life. The second part Developing (study II) refers to the development of an easily accessible resource-oriented couple-management intervention. The first step was to identify priority topics for such an intervention through a co-researcher process with couples living with dementia. This included a comprehensive literature review, interviews with couples in which one partner has dementia, and consultation meetings with expert groups of people with dementia and partners in both Sweden and the UK. The co-researcher process and the expert meetings informed four main themes with corresponding sub-themes that couples with dementia considered as important to their wellbeing in their everyday lives: (1) Home and Neighbourhood, (2) Meaningful Activities and Relationships, (3) Approach and Empowerment, and (4) Couplehood. The themes were further developed and integrated into the multimedia application DemPower, which was developed for the delivery of the intervention. The third part Testing and Evaluating describes a feasibility study (study III) in which the DemPower application was tested for feasibility and acceptability among couples in Sweden and the UK. The results of the feasibility study indicated that the DemPower intervention was feasible and acceptable among couples in which one partner has dementia living at home. The testing and evaluating part also comprise a qualitative study (study IV) that explores the experiences of engaging with DemPower together as a couple living with dementia in Sweden. The findings resulted in the three themes: (1) Growth of the relationship, (2) We are not alone, and (3) Positive approach, which the couples appreciated and associated with the resource-oriented and salutogenic approach of DemPower. The overall findings of the thesis are presented in a concluding synthesis at the end of the thesis. The concluding synthesis, focused on “Meaningfulness”, “Empowering health promotion”, “Normalization” and “Transitions and couplehood”, represents the core findings of this thesis. What this thesis adds: This thesis contributes to research, healthcare and the public by highlighting the need for a salutogenic approach toward couples living with dementia. The DemPower application, with its focus on couples’ relationships, resource-orientation and everyday life, has proven feasibility and acceptability and has meaningfully addressed a gap in the literature and in practice. As researchers, healthcare professionals and the public, we need to support couples where one partner has dementia to continue to live as normal life as possible. This can best be achieved by focusing on what couples can do, by inclusion and by valuing them as the experts within dementia research and of their life experiences.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Bielsten, Therese, et al.
(författare)
-
Living Life and Doing Things Together: Collaborative Research With Couples Where One Partner Has a Diagnosis of Dementia
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Qualitative Health Research. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 1049-7323 .- 1552-7557. ; 28:11, s. 1719-1734
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to identify relevant content for a self-management guide by using the outcomes of previous research in combination with knowledge and experiences from couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia. The study was carried out in three phases: (a) literature search of previous research related to well-being and couplehood in dementia; (b) interviews with couples with dementia based on the findings of the literature search; and (c) further authentication of the findings within expert groups of people with dementia and carers. For analysis of data, we used a hybrid approach of thematic analysis with combined deductive and inductive approaches. The findings of this study indicated that the four main themes Home and Neighborhood, Meaningful Activities and Relationships, Approach and Empowerment, and Couplehood with related subthemes could be appropriate targets for a self-management guide for couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia.
|
|
| 6. |
- Bondjers, Cecilia, 1974, et al.
(författare)
-
Transcription profiling of platelet-derived growth factor-B-deficient mouse embryos identifies RGS5 as a novel marker for pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells.
- 2003
-
Ingår i: The American journal of pathology. - 0002-9440. ; 162:3, s. 721-9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All blood capillaries consist of endothelial tubes surrounded by mural cells referred to as pericytes. The origin, recruitment, and function of the pericytes is poorly understood, but the importance of these cells is underscored by the severe cardiovascular defects in mice genetically devoid of factors regulating pericyte recruitment to embryonic vessels, and by the association between pericyte loss and microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus. A general problem in the study of pericytes is the shortage of markers for these cells. To identify new markers for pericytes, we have taken advantage of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B knockout mouse model, in which developing blood vessels in the central nervous system are almost completely devoid of pericytes. Using cDNA microarrays, we analyzed the gene expression in PDGF-B null embryos in comparison with corresponding wild-type embryos and searched for down-regulated genes. The most down-regulated gene present on our microarray was RGS5, a member of the RGS family of GTPase-activating proteins for G proteins. In situ hybridization identified RGS5 expression in brain pericytes, and in pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in certain other, but not all, locations. Absence of RGS5 expression in PDGF-B and PDGFR beta-null embryos correlated with pericyte loss in these mice. Residual RGS5 expression in rare pericytes suggested that RGS5 is a pericyte marker expressed independently of PDGF-B/R beta signaling. With RGS5 as a proof-of-principle, our data demonstrate the usefulness of microarray analysis of mouse models for abnormal pericyte development in the identification of new pericyte-specific markers.
|
|
| 7. |
- Bowers, John, et al.
(författare)
-
Designing mixed media artefacts for public settings
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Cooperative Systems Design. Scenario-Based Design of Collaborative Systems. - Amsterdam : IOS Press. ; , s. 195-210
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes how principles which are emerging from socialscientific studies of people’s interaction with mixed media artefacts in public place have been used to support the development of two installations, the second of which is a long term museum exhibit. Our principles highlight the design of ‘emergent collaborative value’, ‘layers of noticeability’ and ‘structures of motivation’ to create an ‘ecology of participation’ in installations. We describe how our first installation was used as a ‘research vehicle’ that guided and shaped the design of the museum installation. We also provide an account of how people interact with our installations and how this analysis has shaped their design. The paper closes with some general remarks about the challenges there are for the design of collaborative installations and the extent to which we have met them.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
