In our research on ageing and the living conditions of older people, we use cross-sectional and longitudinal data from interviews and registers. The research group is focusing on a number of research questions related to the physical and mental health of older adults, integrated health and social care, health literacy, family relationships and loneliness, as well as a number of aspects of group-level inequality.
Photo: Björn ForslöwJosefin Wångdahl, participates in KI's podcast Medicinvetarna, episode #151. She talks about her research on health literacy and why it is so important (in Swedish).
Photo: Andreas Andersson"Loneliness can be a problem for those who get very old, as many of their friends and loved ones have passed away". Carin Lennartsson is one of the researchers interviewed in KI’s podcast Medicinvetarna episode #100, on the topic "100-year-olds". The episode explores various aspects and consequences of the fact that more and more people are getting older (in Swedish).
Photo: Elias LauronenLoneliness is associated with poor health and mortality, but the causal relationships between loneliness, mental health and care use are note well understood. REALM takes a holistic perspective on loneliness in older age, how loneliness is understood and experienced, its relationship with mental health, and how loneliness can be identified, assessed and addressed by practitioners.
Photo: N/AThe Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old – SWEOLD, is an ongoing, nationally representative survey of the older population in Sweden, run by researchers from Aging Research Center at ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡. The first data collection was conducted in 1992, and has been repeated in 2002, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2021. Older adults are asked questions about their actual living conditions in a number of areas relevant to older people, these include health, health and social care, financial resources, housing, occupation, and everyday activities. The survey also includes a few basic tests on physical and cognitive performance.
Swedish Research Council
Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
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SE-171 77 Stockholm
Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Widerström Building, floors 9 and 10
SE-171 65 Solna
At present, our research covers different important areas of older adults’ living situation and health. Within the framework of intergenerational transfers of social and economic support in families, our research concerns how economic and social support are mutually exchanged between generations over the life course.
We also study health, health inequalities and health trends. This work is of major public health concerns, as the number of older adults increases in absolute and relative terms and life expectancy continues to increase. Our focus is on changing population health, and how the patterns vary across social groups, geographical areas, and time periods.
Another important line of our research concerns transitions that often occur later in life, such as retirement, loss of close relatives and deteriorating health and how these transitions are associated with people’s ability to ageing well.
Our research also involves quantitative analysis using both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. Being responsible for the SWEOLD study our research interests also cover the methodological challenges involved in studying the oldest old.
There is an ongoing demographic shift where both the number and proportions of older people are increasing. This development of ageing societies puts great pressure on the sustainability of welfare state.
During the last decades we have seen a retrenchment of the welfare state with, for instance, the downsizing of institutional eldercare which has placed more responsibility for eldercare on families. Although the welfare state is important for the wellbeing of individuals so are family relations. Family members distribute care and financial resources to each other over the life-course, making also past transfers important to consider.
The family transfers of care and financial resources may contri
