Ulrika Westerling

About Ulrika Westerling

Ulrika Westerling is a registered district nurse at Region Örebro County with 50 % clinical duty at the primary health care center for elderly in Kumla. Remaining 50 % is dedicated to doctoral studies at Örebro University with an affiliation to the University Health Care Research Center. Ulrika's research interest is frail elderly in primary health care.

Research

In december 2017 a primary health care unit for elderly was introduced at Kumla primary health care center in effort to optimize the care for elderly patients 75 years or older. The unit focuses on elderlies health, quality of life, needs and the possibility to obtain care with continuity and security. The overall purpose with the doctoral project is to evaluate the care of frail elderly at the unit for elderly at primary health care center in Kumla.

Specific questions are:

How do frail elderly, their relatives and health care professionals perceive the care?

Introduction of a primary health care unit for elderly, what are the effects of morbidity and mortality?

Study 1: A qualitative study regarding frail elderlies, their relatives and health care professionals perceptions of care of elderly in primary health care. Individual interviews with frail elderly, focus group discussions with close relatives and health care staff will be conducted.

Study 2: A quantitative register study with observational case-control design, with the intend to study journal data retrospective from primary health care center in Kumla before the introduction  of a primary health care unit for elderly. Comparison also will be conducted towards other primary health care centres after the introduction. The research project seeks answer to: Can mortality and morbidity after hospital treament be reduced with the introduction of a primary health care unit for elderly?