Catharina Gillsjo

Catharina Gillsjö, PhD, FNP, RN, is a registered nurse with a post graduate diploma as a public health specialist in nursing, and a family nurse practitioner with a master of science in nursing. She earned her PhD in a Joint PhD Program in the Nursing between University of Rhode Island, USA and the University of Skövde, Sweden. Her dissertation is titled: Older Adults' Conceptions of Home and Experiences of Living with Long-term Musculoskeletal Pain. The focus of her research is on the health and well-being of older adults in various contexts, especially that of the home. It also encompasses common health problems associated with aging, such as long-term musculoskeletal pain. Catharina is a senior lecturer at the University of Skövde with a special educational interest in advanced practice nursing. She is interested in national and international collaboration in research and education. Catharina and a colleague at the University of Skövde have developed an interprofessional intervention among older adults living with long-term musculoskelatal pain at home, based on findings from their dissertations. This intervention is the major focus in Catharina’s current postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Skövde. The intervention includes education and supervision in conducting continuous Reflective STRENGTH-giving Dialogues (STRENGTH) with older adults. Recently, Catharina initiated the development of an international research program and collaboration with faculty at the University of Rhode Island on "Aging in Place" in order to better understand older adults´ conceptions of home and experiences of living with health problems in the community. The research within the program addresses key questions in four components, 1) conceptions of home, 2) experiences of living with various health problems as long-term pain, stress, mental health problems and dementia, 3) interventions as STRENGTH and 4) selection of relevant instruments for measuring health problems, health and well-being and development of an instrument to measure feeling at home. These components are seen as necessary in the development and design of interventions aimed at fostering health and well-being among older adults living in the community.