Give Older Persons a Voice in the Society—By Using Information Compiled during Preventive Home Visits on a Societal Level

Preventive home visits (PHVs) are offered to older persons with the purpose of promoting health and preventing risks on an individual level. However, aspects of health need to be considered on a societal level as well. This study aims to get a deeper understanding of perceptions of the usability of the information compiled during the PHVs to promote health, among older persons, on a societal level. Three online focus groups were conducted with heads of unit of PHVs, heads of department, and politicians responsible for health and welfare in seven municipalities in Sweden (n = 12). The findings were visualised in the core category Enable an inclusive society and the interrelated categories Monitoring determinants of health and Enabling exchange of information. The information from the PHVs could be used to monitor determinants of health by identifying assets, challenges, shifts, trends, and future needs in the society. Moreover, exchange of information from the PHVs could occur within and outside the health and welfare organisation. However, the potential use was affected by hindrances illustrated in the category Obstacles to interpreting and communicating the information. To conclude, using the information from the PHVs could possibly contribute to an inclusive society, where persons not usually represented in decision making are given a voice.

‘A longitudinal room of possibilities’ – perspectives on the benefits of long-term preventive home visits: A qualitative study of nurses’ experiences

Preventive home visits carried out by healthcare professionals are intended to promote the health and independence of home-dwelling older persons and to prevent functional decline. The aim of this study was to describe nurses’ experiences of the benefits from long-term follow up with annual preventive home visits to older people in a Norwegian context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine nurses who performed the service. Manifest and latent content analysis revealed benefits within three themes: sustained ability to live independently and thrive despite age-related changes, eased transition to other healthcare services, and improved healthcare service planning. Two headlines describe the longitudinal processes involved in the creation of benefits: ‘The processes of establishing, sustaining, and widening a longitudinal room of possibilities’, and ‘The individualized health-promoting processes – the ongoing gardening work. Professional, contextual and structural factors influenced the nurses’ ability to support older persons’ changing needs during the aging process and thus their health and independence.