Åldrande och hälsa – Welmers forskargrupp

Vi studerar hälsa hos äldre personer med särskilt fokus på fysisk funktion, fysisk aktivitet, stillasittande och skadliga fall.

En del av:

Forskningsfokus 

Vi studerar hälsa hos äldre personer med särskilt fokus på fysisk funktion, fysisk aktivitet, stillasittande och skadliga fall. Vår forskning kombinerar kliniska studier (interventionsstudier, kvalitativa studier och implementeringsforskning) med stora populationsbaserade studier.

Våra mål är att öka kunskapen om:

  • Orsaker och konsekvenser av fysisk funktionsnedsättning, fysisk inaktivitet och skadliga fall hos äldre personer
  • Effekt av fysiska träningsinterventioner på fysisk funktion och hälsa hos äldre personer
  • Implementering av evidensbaserade metoder i klinisk praxis

Mer information om vår forskargrupp finns på den engelska sidan.

Publikationer

Utvalda publikationer

Finansiering

Forskningsbidrag

  • Förebyggande av funktionell försämring hos akut sjukhusvårdade äldre patienter: Effekter av en trearmad randomiserad kontrollerad studie, patientupplevelser och sekundära analyser
    Forskarskolan i hälsovetenskap (FiH)
    25 August 2025 - 24 August 2029
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2028
    Research Problem and QuestionsDementia presents a significant challenge to healthcare systems. The complex nature of the condition requires individuals and their caregivers to engage with multiple healthcare sectors, necessitating coordinated, person-centred care across various providers. However, several barriers impede the effective delivery of holistic care. As a result, the urgent need for coordinated, person-centred care for individuals with dementia remains largely unmet.This project aims to address these challenges by focusing on the intersections and collaboration across systems, ultimately providing practical recommendations to support coordinated and person-centred care for people with dementia. The specific questions we aim to address are: 1) To what extent does care fragmentation occur among people with dementia? 2) What are the volume and trajectory of care transitions among patients with dementia? 3) What are the unmet needs and potential solutions for coordinated, person-centred dementia care?Data and MethodsThis project will adopt an innovative approach from observation to implementation, by leveraging data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Nordanstig (SNAC-N, n=766), the Screening Across the Lifespan Twin Study (SALT, n=44,919), and the National Swedish Register for Cognitive/Dementia Disorders (SveDem, n=129,387). Additionally, we will conduct qualitative studies further to understand dementia care and the well-being of caregivers.Societal Relevance and UtilisationDementia care in Sweden has faced criticism for structural deficiencies, such as fragmentation and poor coordination. There is limited knowledge about how different care providers coordinate in practice. This project aims to enhance our understanding of how collaboration in dementia care occurs and how it is experienced by various care providers. A comprehensive investigation of these issues is essential for optimizing the dementia care process and establishing an effective model for care collaboration.Plan for Project RealisationThe project is grounded in well-established cohort studies and an extensive dementia registry that encompasses both specialist and primary care at national and regional levels. These are complemented by qualitative studies involving patients with dementia and their caregivers. Through the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team, this project offers a unique opportunity to address significant knowledge gaps in dementia care.
  • Skadligt stillasittande på äldre dagar – i riktning mot individanpassade interventioner
    Mälardalsområdets Forskarskola i Vårdvetenskap (MoF-V)
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
  • Skadligt stillasittande på äldre dagar – i riktning mot individanpassade interventioner
    Strategiska forskningsområdet vårdvetenskap (SFO-V)
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2024
  • Att förebygga funktionsnedsättning hos äldre patienter som inkommit akut till sjukhus – effekt av ett enkelt träningsprogram kontra individanpassad träning
    Konung Gustaf Vs och Drottning Victorias Frimurarestiftelse
    1 March 2022 - 2 March 2025
  • Att förebygga funktionsnedsättning hos äldre patienter som inkommit akut till sjukhus – effekt av ett enkelt träningsprogram kontra individanpassad träning
    ALF Medicin
    1 March 2022 - 31 December 2027
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 November 2021 - 31 October 2026
    Older adults who are hospitalized because of acute medical illness often experience worsening of physical function, and the transition from hospital to home may pose an additional risk. Even relatively small amounts of exercise might mitigate the risk of physical impairment, emphasizing the importance of identifying efficient and easy-to-use exercise interventions for older hospitalized people.In this project, we aim to 1) to examine if a transitional care program consisting of walking and sit-to-stand exercises performed during acute hospitalization and as self-training at home has effect over usual care concerning physical function in people aged 75 years and older, 2) perform a process evaluation during the different phases of the project, and, 3) translate the knowledge into clinical practice.We will conduct a randomized controlled trial. Participants aged 75 years and older will be included consecutively from geriatric medical wards of two hospitals in Region Stockholm. The intervention starts at the hospital and continues at home six weeks after discharge. The primary outcome is the score on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at three months after discharge. Secondary outcomes are SBBP at hospital discharge, and the number of hospital readmissions six months after discharge.The project will include a pilot study to explore the feasibility and optimize the research design, and a process evaluation to assess the quantity and quality of what was delivered and the role of context. In the final phase of the project, we will provide a description of the changes needed to translate the intervention into different settings, which will be helpful for further implementation.Most previous exercise intervention studies in older adults were performed either at the hospital or at home. Thus, the proposed transitional care project may provide a novel strategy to maintain or improve physical function in this frail and vulnerable group.
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2019 - 30 September 2022
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 October 2017 - 30 September 2022
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2017 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2016 - 31 December 2017
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2015 - 31 December 2018
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2013 - 31 December 2016
  • Centrum för Innovativ Medicin
  • Mälardalsområdets Forskarskola i Vårdvetenskap (MoF-V)
  • Strategiska forskningsområdet vårdvetenskap (SFO-V)
  • Skadliga fallolyckor hos äldre personer: upptäckt av äldre personer på olika risknivåer - från epidemiologi till implementeringsforskning
    Forskarskolan i Vårdvetenskap (FiV), Karolinska Insitutet

Medarbetare och kontakt

Gruppledare

Alla medarbetare i gruppen

Besöksadress

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Alfred Nobels allé 23, B3, Huddinge, SE-141 83, Sweden

Postadress

Karolinska Institutet, Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy 23100, Huddinge, SE-141 83, Sweden