Tove Harnett
PhD in Gerontology

In Sweden, national policies emphasise that all elderly people shall be able to influence their own everyday lives. Little is known, however, about the outcome of these national policies at the local levels where they are to be enacted. In the light of this, Tove Harnett’s doctoral dissertation consists of four studies where she will probe deeply into the situation of frail elderly people’s possibilities of exercising influence over their own everyday lives. The first study constitutes a starting-point in that it identifies structural obstacles to such influence in 100 Swedish municipalities. This is followed up by a study of complaints in nursing home settings involving an analysis of how the staff deal with complaints and of dissatisfaction on the part of the elderly and members of their family.

Parallel with writing her dissertation Tove Harnett has started up a course in evaluation practice and her work thus includes teaching and supervising students in this subject field.