Impacts on oral health attitude and knowledge after completing a digital training module among Swedish healthcare professionals working with older adults.

Oral health care is essential, and digital training may influence healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health. The aim, therefore, was to evaluate the impact on attitudes to and knowledge of oral health after using a digital training module among Swedish healthcare professionals working within a municipality-run healthcare service for older adults. A secondary aim was to explore the healthcare professionals' experiences of using the digital module. The study comprised a survey of healthcare professionals (registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses, and care assistants) caring for older adults in a municipality in Sweden. Pre-post-tests were conducted to evaluate the outcomes for attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and of their experiences of completing the digital training module in oral health. These were statistically explored by comparing differences between the pre-post-tests, while the open-ended questions were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study indicate that healthcare professionals had similar perceptions of their attitudes to and knowledge of oral health both before and after the digital training module in oral health. The study also indicates that healthcare professionals experienced that it is easier to perform practical oral health care after completing the digital training. The results also show that healthcare professionals value oral health knowledge and that the digital training module was easy to use and to disseminate knowledge throughout the municipality. The findings have implications for developing, implementing, and promoting healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and in using a digital training module in combination with practical exercises in oral health in municipality health care.

Psychometric evaluation of a short-form version of the Swedish "Attitudes to and Knowledge of Oral Health" questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health are fundamental to providing good oral health care to older adults. One instrument that assesses healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health in a Swedish context is the "Attitudes to and Knowledge of Oral health" (AKO) questionnaire. Two of the three item-groups of the AKO have previously been validated in a Swedish context. However, it is crucial that all three item-groups are validated, and beneficial to design a shorter, easy-to-use questionnaire for healthcare professionals while maintaining adequate integrity of its reliability and validity. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a short-form version of AKO and to secure its psychometric properties. METHODS: Psychometric evaluation with Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory to validate and shorten AKO with 611 healthcare professionals from a population of 1159 working in a municipality in an urban area in western Sweden. RESULTS: Of the original 16 items in the AKO, 13 were shown to warrant retention in the abbreviated/shortened form. These showed acceptable validity and reliability for assessing healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health. CONCLUSION: This validated short-form version of AKO shows acceptable validity and reliability after being reduced to 13 items, structured in a 3-part scale. The items are consistent with the total scale, indicating that the internal consistency is acceptable. Future studies should be performed to evaluate AKO in other groups of healthcare professionals, across cultures, languages, and so on, to investigate its use and strengthen its validity and reliability.

Forecasting drug utilization and expenditure: ten years of experience in Stockholm.

BACKGROUND: Operating under constrained budgets, payers and providers globally face challenges in enabling appropriate and sustainable access to new medicines. Among payer initiatives aiming to improve preparedness of healthcare systems for the introduction of new medicines, drug utilization and expenditure forecasting has played an increasingly important role. This study aims to describe the forecasting model used in Region Stockholm and to evaluate the accuracy of the forecasts produced over the past decade. METHODS: In this repeated cross-sectional study, we compared the predicted pharmaceutical expenditure with actual expenditure during the entire available follow-up period (2007-2018) both for overall drug utilization and for individual therapeutic groups. All analyses were based on pharmaceutical expenditure data that include medicines used in hospitals and dispensed prescription medicines for all residents of the region. RESULTS: According to the forecasts, the total pharmaceutical expenditure was estimated to increase between 2 and 8% annually. Our analyses showed that the accuracy of these forecasts varied over the years with a mean absolute error of 1.9 percentage points. Forecasts for the same year were more accurate than forecasts for the next year. The accuracy of forecasts also differed across the therapeutic areas. Factors influencing the accuracy of forecasting included the timing of the introduction of both new medicines and generics, the rate of uptake of new medicines, and sudden changes in reimbursement policies. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analyses of all forecasting reports produced since the model was established in Stockholm in the late 2000s, we demonstrated that it is feasible to forecast pharmaceutical expenditure with a reasonable accuracy. A number of factors influencing the accuracy of forecasting were also identified. If forecasting is used to provide data for decisions on budget allocation and agreements between payers and providers, we advise to update the forecast as close as possible prior to the decision date.

Secondary prevention after stroke/transient ischemic attack: A randomized audit and feedback trial.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical benefits of use of secondary preventive pharmacotherapy in ischemic stroke/TIA have been previously demonstrated. A potential target for facilitating the use of recommended medications is primary care physicians. Therefore, we carried out an audit and feedback intervention aimed at primary care centers. The aim was to improve the use of secondary preventive stroke medications and diagnosis recording in ischemic stroke/TIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The intervention consisted of structured, healthcare database-derived quality reports on secondary preventive medication use and diagnosis recording, sent in 2015 to half of the primary care centers in Stockholm County, with information specific to each primary care center. Medication dispensation (primary outcome) for statins, antihypertensives, antiplatelets, and anticoagulants, as well as diagnosis recording (secondary outcome), was compared between intervention centers and control centers in the 18 months following the intervention. Outcome data were derived from the healthcare databases of Stockholm County (VAL). RESULTS: Dispensation of medications to the 12 766 patients analyzed in the study was high. Over 77% of patients used antihypertensives and antithrombotics, and 65%-68% used statins. After the intervention, no differences in medication dispensation were seen between the intervention and control centers, even after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: A simple audit and feedback intervention directed toward physicians in primary care did not improve medication dispensation to ischemic stroke/TIA patients 18 months later. Any future audit and feedback intervention aimed at improving adherence to guidelines for secondary prevention in primary care should consider multiple and continuous reminders, the graphical appeal, and widening the recipients to include patients.

Persistence with dimethyl fumarate in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: To describe patients initiating dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and measure persistence with DMF, discontinuation, and switching in treatment-naïve DMF patients and patients switching to DMF from other multiple sclerosis disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). METHODS: A population-based cohort study of all Stockholm County residents initiating DMF from 9 May 2014 until 31 May 2017. All data were derived from a regional database that collects individual-level data on healthcare and drug utilization of all residents. The study outcomes were persistence with DMF and DMF discontinuation and switching to other DMTs. Persistence was measured as the number of days until either DMF discontinuation (treatment gap ≥ 60 days) or switching to another DMT. RESULTS: The study included 400 patients (median follow-up = 2.5 years). The majority had previously been treated with other DMTs (61%). Throughout the follow-up period, 124 patients (31%) discontinued DMF and 114 patients (29%) switched treatment. Overall, 34% of patients initiating DMF stopped treatment within 1 year and only 43% of patients remained on DMF at 2 years from treatment initiation. CONCLUSIONS: DMF had a rapid market uptake likely due to high expectations held by both patients and clinicians. However, persistence with DMF in routine clinical practice was found to be low.

The changing multiple sclerosis treatment landscape: impact of new drugs and treatment recommendations.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the utilization of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and assess the impact of both the introduction of new drugs and treatment recommendations (local recommendation on rituximab use issued at the largest MS clinic in Stockholm and regional Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) recommendation on how dimethyl fumarate should be used). METHODS: Interrupted time series analyses using monthly data on all MS patients treated with DMTs in the Stockholm County, Sweden, from January 2011 to December 2017. RESULTS: There were 4765 individuals diagnosed with MS residing in the Stockholm County from 2011 to 2017. Of these, 2934 (62%) were treated with an MS DMT. Since 2011, fingolimod, alemtuzumab, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, peginterferon beta-1a, and daclizumab were introduced. Only fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate significantly impacted MS DMT utilization. In parallel, the use of rituximab off-label increased steadily, reaching 58% of all DMT-treated MS patients by the end of the study period. The local recommendation on rituximab was associated with an increase in rituximab use. The regional DTC recommendation on dimethyl fumarate was associated with a decrease in dimethyl fumarate use. CONCLUSIONS: Three MS DMTs-fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, and rituximab off-label-impacted MS DMT utilization in the Stockholm County. The associations between the treatment recommendations and the subsequent changes in MS DMT utilization indicate that such interventions can influence the uptake and utilization of new drugs used in the specialized care setting.

Differential uptake of herpes zoster vaccination associated with socioeconomic status: A population-based study in Stockholm County, Sweden.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether herpes zoster vaccine (HZV) was associated with socioeconomic status in Stockholm, when the vaccine was reimbursed in Sweden. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective case-control study, using population-based health care registers. During the study period, September 2013 to November 2014, the HZV was reimbursed as part of the National Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in Sweden and recommended for individuals over 50 years. A case was any person, living in Stockholm County, who received HZV during the study period. For each case, 10 (unvaccinated) controls living in Stockholm County were selected and matched by age and sex. In total, 9099 cases and 89 736 controls were included. Socioeconomic variables investigated included education, income, immigration status, and marital status. We also investigated whether HZV was associated with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and/or previous herpes zoster diagnosis. RESULTS: Mean age at vaccination was 69.8 years, and 65.8% of vaccinees were women. There was a positive association between vaccination and higher education (OR = 3.4 (95% CI 3.0-3.8) for men and OR = 2.8 (95% CI 2.6-3.0) for women, respectively) in comparison to primary education. Higher income and being married were positively associated with vaccination, particularly for men, whereas being an immigrant was negatively associated. There was a negative association between a higher CCI score and HZV, indicating that healthier individuals were more likely to have been vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the vaccine being part of the National Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme, receipt of the HZV was significantly associated with socioeconomic factors.

Holistic health care: Patients' experiences of health care provided by an Advanced Practice Nurse.

INTRODUCTION: Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a fairly new role in the Swedish health care system. AIM: To describe patients' experiences of health care provided by an APN in primary health care. METHODS: An inductive, descriptive qualitative approach with qualitative open-ended interviews was chosen to obtain descriptions from 10 participants regarding their experiences of health care provided by an APN. The data were collected during the spring 2012, and a qualitative approach was used for analyze. RESULTS: The APNs had knowledge and skills to provide safe and secure individual and holistic health care with high quality, and a respectful and flexible approach. The APNs conveyed trust and safety and provided health care that satisfied the patients' needs of accessibility and appropriateness in level of care. CONCLUSION: The APNs way of providing health care and promoting health seems beneficial in many ways for the patients. The individual and holistic approach that characterizes the health care provided by the APNs is a key aspect in the prevailing change of health care practice. The transfer of care and the increasing number of older adults, often with a variety of complex health problems, call for development of the new role in this context.

A prospective exploration of symptom burden clusters in women with breast cancer during chemotherapy treatment.

PURPOSE: The aim was to prospectively map symptom clusters in patients with stage I-IIIa breast cancer during standard chemotherapy treatment in a randomised study. METHODS: Participants completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) at baseline, day 12 after the first and third cycle of FEC 75 or FEC 100, and day 12 after the last cycle of Taxotere. Cut-off values for symptom scores, a mean value based on each individual reporting a symptom including occurrence, frequency, severity and distress for inclusion in analysis, were determined. RESULTS: The symptom burden cluster analysis was conducted in two steps and included symptoms with high frequency and high levels of distress. The factor analysis revealed three symptom clusters; physical, gastro (phys/gastro) and emotional, with core symptoms that remained stable over time. The most prevalent symptoms for the total sample during all cycles were as follows: lack of energy (range between 48 and 90%), feeling sad (48-79%), difficulty sleeping (54-78%), difficulty concentrating (53-74%), worrying (54-74%) and pain (29-67%). CONCLUSION: In summary, we have prospectively established that symptom clusters remain stable over time with a basis of core symptoms. This knowledge will aid in the development of effective core symptom-focused interventions to minimise symptom burden for patients treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Perspectives of health and self-care among older persons-To be implemented in an interactive information and communication technology-platform.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To acquire knowledge regarding the contents to be implemented in an interactive information and communication technology-platform perceived to be relevant to health and self-care among older persons based on the literature, healthcare professionals and the older persons themselves. BACKGROUND: The growing ageing population places demands on the healthcare system to promote healthy ageing and to strengthen the older person's self-care ability. This requires innovative approaches to facilitate communication between the older person and healthcare professionals, and to increase the older person's participation in their care. An information and communication technology-platform could be used for this purpose, but the content needs to be relevant to both the older persons and the healthcare professionals. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative design. METHODS: This study was based on three samplings: a scoping review of the literature (n = 20 articles), interviews with healthcare professionals (n = 5) and a secondary analysis of interviews with older persons (n = 8) and nursing assistants (n = 7). The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Four areas were identified to be of relevance to older persons' perceived health: frame of mind, having relationships and social activities, physical ability and concerns, and maintaining self-care. Self-care was described in the literature and by the healthcare professionals more than by the older persons. CONCLUSIONS: The results show a concordance in the data samplings that give a clear indication of the areas relevant to older persons' health and self-care that can be integrated in an interactive information and communication technology-platform for use in regular daily care assessments. Descriptions of self-care were limited indicating a possible gap in knowledge that requires further research. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Areas relevant to older persons' health and self-care could be used for regular assessment to support and promote healthy ageing.

Data management and data analysis techniques in pharmacoepidemiological studies using a pre-planned multi-database approach: a systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: To identify pharmacoepidemiological multi-database studies and to describe data management and data analysis techniques used for combining data. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase complemented by a manual literature search. We included pharmacoepidemiological multi-database studies published from 2007 onwards that combined data for a pre-planned common analysis or quantitative synthesis. Information was retrieved about study characteristics, methods used for individual-level analyses and meta-analyses, data management and motivations for performing the study. RESULTS: We found 3083 articles by the systematic searches and an additional 176 by the manual search. After full-text screening of 75 articles, 22 were selected for final inclusion. The number of databases used per study ranged from 2 to 17 (median = 4.0). Most studies used a cohort design (82%) instead of a case-control design (18%). Logistic regression was most often used for individual-level analyses (41%), followed by Cox regression (23%) and Poisson regression (14%). As meta-analysis method, a majority of the studies combined individual patient data (73%). Six studies performed an aggregate meta-analysis (27%), while a semi-aggregate approach was applied in three studies (14%). Information on central programming or heterogeneity assessment was missing in approximately half of the publications. Most studies were motivated by improving power (86%). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacoepidemiological multi-database studies are a well-powered strategy to address safety issues and have increased in popularity. To be able to correctly interpret the results of these studies, it is important to systematically report on database management and analysis techniques, including central programming and heterogeneity testing.

Prescribed therapy for asthma: therapeutic ratios and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma therapy. The ICS-to-total-asthma-medication ratios, calculated from claims data, indicate potentially risky disease management in asthma. Our aim was to assess the utility of ICS-to-total-asthma-medication ratios from primary care electronic medical records (EMRs) in detecting patients at risk of asthma exacerbation, as approached by prescription of oral corticosteroids and/or antibiotics. METHODS: Retrospective cohort studies were identified, using the Health Improvement Network general practice database (THIN, United Kingdom) and the Cegedim Longitudinal Patient Data (France). We selected asthma patients aged 16-40 years, with ≥ 4 prescriptions for asthma medications in 2007 and ≥ 1 prescription in 2008. For each country, three groups were defined according to ratio value in 2008: 0% (non-ICS users), <50% (low-ICS-ratio group) and ≥ 50% (high-ICS-ratio group). Outcomes were marker of asthma exacerbations: systemic corticosteroids and antibiotics. They were compared between groups in each country. RESULTS: Among 38,637 British and 4,587 French patients, higher numbers of prescriptions per patient of systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics and total asthma medications were observed in the low-ICS-ratio groups compared to other groups (p < 0.0001 for each outcome in both countries). Likewise, low-ICS-ratio patients had more medical contacts (p < 0.0001 in both countries), suggesting poorly controlled asthma. ICS-treated patients had lower risks of receiving systemic corticosteroids in 2008 in the high-ICS-ratio group, compared to the low-ICS-ratio group: RR = 0.54, 95%CI = [0.50-0.57] and RR = 0.78, 95%CI = [0.67-0.91] in the UK and France, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with high ICS-to-total-asthma-medication ratios presented fewer asthma-related outcomes. The low ICS-to-total-asthma-medication ratio calculated with EMRs data reflects insufficient prescribing of ICS relative to all asthma medications, which may lead to deteriorated asthma control.

Older women's experiences of suffering from urinary tract infections.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe and explore older women's experiences of having had repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs). BACKGROUND: UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections among older women. Approximately one-third of very old women suffer from at least one UTI each year. Despite the high incidence of UTI, little is known about the impact of UTI on health and daily life in older women. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 20 Swedish women aged 67-96 years who suffered from repeated UTIs the preceding year. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Two main themes were identified: being in a state of manageable suffering and depending on alleviation. Being in a state of manageable suffering was described in terms of experiencing physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness and being restricted in daily life. Depending on alleviation was illustrated in terms of having access to relief but also receiving inadequate care. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that UTIs are a serious health problem among older women that not only affects both physical and mental health but also has serious social consequences. The women in this study described the physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness, being restricted in daily life, depending on access to relief and receiving inadequate care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is important to improve the knowledge about how UTI affects the health of older women. This knowledge may help nurses develop strategies to support these women. One important part in the supportive strategies is that nurses can educate these women in self-care.

Patients' satisfaction with the care offered by advanced practice nurses: a new role in Swedish primary care.

The aim of this study is to describe patients' satisfaction with the new role of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in Swedish primary care. A questionnaire pertaining to patient satisfaction with the care offered by APNs was sent to respondents. Descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test and manifest qualitative content analysis were used during analysis. Although the results show an overall high level of patient satisfaction as regards APN-led care, those patients informed of the APN role prior to a consultation were significantly more satisfied. Respondents' comments indicate that professional treatment and competence are characteristic of the care offered by APNs and also relate the concepts of increased availability of and continuity in health care to the APN role. In order to guarantee the positive development of the APN role in Sweden, continued research is needed from patient, organizational and interprofessional perspectives, including intervention studies of cost effectiveness and the quality of care.

Living with heart failure without realising: a qualitative patient study.

Heart failure is an important problem in Swedish primary healthcare as in the U.K. In spite of that little is known about how people with heart failure experience support from primary healthcare. This paper investigates how people with heartfailure experience support in primary healthcare. Semi structured interviews were conducted with five men and five women, born 1922-1951. The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis in accordance with Graneheim and Lundman (2004). The participants experienced they had not received information about their diagnosis or about the cause of their condition. They had not been informed they had heart failure. Instead the participants believed their symptoms were caused by age, thus being part of normal ageing. They did not experience they needed care or support to cope with illness or disease. Instead their main needs for support in daily life concerned help with practical matters.There is a risk primary healthcare abandons people with heart failure meaning the patients are forced to develop strategies on their own in order to manage symptoms. When inadequately informed there is also a risk they make up their own explanations signifying possible difficulties to handle their health situation.

Urinary tract infection in very old women is associated with delirium.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate whether urinary tract infection (UTI) in a representative sample of 85-, 90- and ≥95-year-old women is associated with delirium. METHODS: In 504 out of 643 women (78.4%) it was possible to evaluate UTI and delirium. Assessments such as the Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) and the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) were performed during home visits. Delirium, dementia and depression were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria. A diagnosed, symptomatic UTI with or without ongoing treatment, documented in medical records or detected in association with the assessments, was registered. RESULTS: Eighty-seven of 504 women (17.2%), were diagnosed as having a UTI with or without ongoing treatment when they were assessed, and almost half of them (44.8%) were diagnosed to be delirious or having had episodes of delirium during the past month. One hundred and thirty-seven of the 504 women (27.2%) were delirious or had had episodes of delirium during the past month and 39 (28.5%) of them were diagnosed to have a UTI. In a multivariate logistic regression model, delirium was significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease (OR = 5.8), multi-infarct dementia (OR = 5.4), depression (OR = 3.1), heart failure (OR = 2.3) and urinary tract infection (OR = 1.9). CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of very old women with UTI suffered from delirium which might indicate that UTI is a common cause of delirium. There should be more focus on detecting, preventing and treating UTI to avoid unnecessary suffering among old women.

Quality indicators in telephone nursing - An integrative review.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify factors that indicate quality in telephone nursing. DESIGN: An integrative literature review. METHOD: A literature search was performed in October 2018, in the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Academic Search, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 30 included were included and data that corresponded to the study's aim were extracted and categorized along the three areas of quality as described by Donabedian (Milbank Quarterly, 83, 691), namely structure, process and outcome. RESULTS: The analysis revealed ten factors indicating quality in telephone nursing (TN): availability and simplicity of the service, sustainable working conditions, specialist education and TN experience, healthcare resources and organization, good communication, person-centredness, competence, correct and safe care, efficiency and satisfaction. TN services need to target all ten factors to ensure that the care given is of high quality and able to meet today's requirements for the service.

Lifestyle's influence on community-dwelling older adults' health: A mixed-methods study design.

BACKGROUND: Aging often involves health problems and difficulties, such as physical and psychological impairments, isolation, and loneliness, causing social and existential consequences. Studies have explored aging from different perspectives. However, few studies have examined healthy older adults' genetic backgrounds, lifestyles, and meaning in life separately or in combination. This study aims to describe how healthy older adults experience aging, health, lifestyles, and meaning in life and explore potential genetic correlations. METHODS AND DESIGN: The project will comprise three main parts: a quantitative section featuring the development and testing of a lifestyle questionnaire, a quantitative genetic analysis, and a qualitative interview study. Participants will be community-dwelling, healthy, older adults between 70 and 95 years of age. A sample size of 800 older adults will be invited to participate in seminars in collaboration with the national Swedish association Active Seniors. Data will be collected through lifestyle questionnaire, DNA extracted from saliva samples, and interviews. Based on questionnaire responses, profile groups will be created and compared statistically with variations in genetic backgrounds, providing the basis for recruiting participants to the qualitative interviews. DISCUSSION: This study's expected outcome will be to gain knowledge about variations in genetic backgrounds correlated with individual experiences regarding aging, health, and meaning in life. This knowledge can improve the understanding of motivations for healthy lifestyle changes. The results can reveal potential implications for individual prerequisites to healthy aging and how health-promoting aging and lifestyle counseling can be adjusted to meet individual needs.

Balance in life as a prerequisite for community-dwelling older adults' sense of health and well-being after retirement: an interview-based study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe community-dwelling older adults' perceptions of health and well-being in life after retirement. METHODS: This study is part of a larger project using a mixed-methods design to address lifestyles' influence on community-dwelling older adults' health. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 older adults in age 70 to 95 years. Data were analysed according to a phenomenographic approach. RESULTS: The results encompass four categories describing variations in community-dwelling older adults' perceptions of health and well-being after retirement: feeling well despite illness and disease, interacting with and being useful for oneself and others, independently embracing opportunities and engaging in life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of illness and disease is not a clear prerequisite for a sense of health and well-being. To promote and preserve health and well-being after retirement, older adults strived for-and coached themselves to uphold-a balance in life, focusing on not burdening others. This life orientation after retirement must be acknowledged by society at large, especially from an ageist perspective, and in health and social care to preserve and promote health and well-being.