Improved quality of life and health among elderly in focus for new professor

Cecilia Fagerström is a nurse who since obtaining her degree has worked with education and strategic questions within education. She has also worked with several national and international research teams.

“In my research, I’m passionate about developing knowledge about the conditions and quality of life of elderly, and how we can use eHealth to make improvements for staff and patients”, says Fagerström.

The objective is to develop structures in care that prevent health problems and hospital visits from taking over everyday life, which would mean that elderly risk leading limited lives with reduced quality of life. With the purpose to improve the quality of life for elderly, it is also crucial to support staff that meet elderly by developing tools, support and decision-making basis based on their needs, in order for them to make the correct judgements.

At the moment, Cecilia Fagerström is working together with junior and senior researchers in a research team focusing on questions relating to slow-healing wounds. Wound pain and infection is not uncommon among elderly patients and the research team works to produce knowledge that can help develop adequate pain relief and antibiotic use, and, as a result, also contribute to a faster healing process with reduced suffering for the patient.

One of Fagerström’s projects deals with improving the continuity in care to ensure that people with complex health care needs get a secure and safe care throughout the health care supply chain. In focus here is the importance of seamless transitions and coordination of care at home. Fagerström also has another project in the pipeline that will study how ill health can be prevented by reducing sedentary habits among elderly and by using better and more sensitive screening instruments for mobility – an important health parameter for many age-related problems.

What is most exciting about having been appointed professor at Linnaeus University?
“It means incredibly much to me. It’s rewarding to have the opportunity to work at a big university like Linnaeus University and meet and work with so many creative and committed people with varying experiences in new constellations. At the moment, a clinical professorship is also being discussed together with Landstinget Blekinge. As professor of health sciences, I get the opportunity to work out a basis for decisions within health care and nursing with the objective to improve care for both patients and staff. This is a great responsibility but at the same time it feels exciting and challenging to take part in the development and shaping of the health care and nursing of the future.