Lisa Spang
Lisa Spang Position: Lecturer School/office: School of Health SciencesEmail: bGlzYS5zcGFuZztvcnUuc2U=
Phone: +46 19 301349
Room: P2156
About Lisa Spang
Lisa Spang is a registered occupational therapist and is employed at the Department of Health Sciences. Lisa Spang was a MD student at the interdisciplinary research school ‘Successful Ageing’ and was awarded her MD in October 2024. Lisa’s dissertation described, from an activity-based perspective, the factors that influence older people living in their own homes to apply for a placement in nursing home. Since defending her disseratation, Lisa has focused on further developing her expertise in the field of ageing. Lisa’s overarching aim with her research is to improve the everyday lives of older adults in Sweden. She is doing this through two different projects: one in which Lisa is involved in research into how dementia care in Sweden can become more inclusive and adapted to a variety of cultures. The other involves Lisa collaborating with a municipal dietitian to conduct research aimed at preventing malnutrition among older adults receiving municipal care services.
In addition to her research, Lisa is involved in training occupational therapists on the bachelor’s and master’s programmes. Here too, Lisa is interested in pedagogy from a research perspective and is working to identify new teaching methods to meet the information-seeking and learning needs of today’s students.
Research projects
Active projects
- Take on the challenge - adapt teaching methods to today's occupational therapy students
- Rethinking Environments in Dementia Care Homes (REDem) - paving the way for equality in care delivery
- Empowering Occupational Therapist in Elderly Nutrition Care
Completed projects
Publications
Articles in journals
- Spang, L. & Baudin, K. (2026). Cultural competence in dementia care: Care workers and managers perspectives on physical and social environments in Long-Term Care. PLOS ONE, 21 (7). [BibTeX]
- Engelheart, S. & Spang, L. (2026). Preserving togetherness or ensuring safety? The dilemma of where to live and receive dementia care. BMC Geriatrics, 26 (1). [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Pejner, M. N. & Kihlgren, A. (2026). Structuring for Culture: Exploring Organizational Preconditions for Culturally Appropriate Dementia Care in Sweden: a Thematic Analysis. Sage Open Nursing, 12. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Lidström-Holmqvist, K. , Holmefur, M. & Pettersson, C. (2024). Older adults' reasons for applying to a nursing home: a document analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 31 (1). [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Holmefur, M. , Hermansson, L. & Lidström-Holmqvist, K. (2023). Applying to a nursing home is a way to maintain control of life-Experiences from Swedish nursing home applicants. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 37 (1), 106-116. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Holmefur, M. , Pettersson, C. & Lidström-Holmqvist, K. (2023). Experiences of Close Relatives of Older Adults in Need of a Nursing Home: It Is We Who Manage Their Fragile Daily Life. Health & Social Care in the Community, 2023. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. & Holmqvist, K. (2015). Occupational therapy practice in emergency care: occupational therapists' perspectives. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 22 (5), 345-354. [BibTeX]
Books
- Alexopoulou, S. , Fart, F. , Jonsson, A. , Karni, L. , Kenalemang, L. M. , Krishna, S. , Lindblad, K. , Loutfi, A. & et al. Kristoffersson, E. (ed.) & Nilsson, K. (ed.) (2018). Successful ageing in an interdisciplinary context: popular science presentations. Örebro: Örebro University. [BibTeX]
Conference papers
- Spang, L. & Baudin, K. (2026). Cultural competence in dementia care: Care-workers and managers perspectives on physical and social environments in Long-Term Care. Paper presented at 36th Alzheimer Europe Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 27-29, 2026. [BibTeX]
- Jönsson, M. , Spang, L. , Baudin, K. , Kihlgren, A. & Lindner, H. (2026). Environment as a therapeutic tool: an evaluation of care home environments to support well-being among minority ethnic residents with dementia. Paper presented at 36th Alzheimer Europe Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 27-29, 2026. [BibTeX]
- Jönsson, M. , Spang, L. , Baudin, K. & Lindner, H. (2026). Supporting Minority Ethnic Residents’ Well-Being Through Culturally Reflective Care Environments. Paper presented at 23rd IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 5-7 July, 2026. Örebro: [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Pejner, M. N. & Kihlgren, A. (2025). Adapting Nursing Home Environments: Insights from Workshops on Overcoming Barriers and Meeting Culture-Specific Needs of Residents with Dementia. In: Adapting Nursing Home Environments Insights from Workshops on Overcoming Barriers and Meeting Culture-Specific Needs of Residents with Dementia. Paper presented at The 35th Alzheimer Europe conference, Bologna, Italy, 6-8 October, 2025. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Lidström-Holmqvist, K. , Pettersson, C. , Udumyan, R. & Holmefur, M. (2024). Aging in place or in a nursing home: a case-control study comparing nursinghome applicants to matched non-applicants. Paper presented at The 27th Nordic Congress of Gerontology in Stockholm, Sweden, June 12-14, 2024. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Lidström-Holmqvist, K. , Holmefur, M. & Pettersson, C. (2024). Older adults’ reasons for applying to a nursing home admission: a document analysis. Paper presented at The 27th Nordic Congress of Gerontology in Stockholm, Sweden, June 12-14, 2024. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Holmefur, M. , Pettersson, C. & Lidström-Holmqvist, K. (2022). To be a relative to an older adult who have applied to a nursing home. Paper presented at 18th World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Congress, Occupational R-evolution, Paris, France, August 28-31, 2022. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Holmefur, M. , Hermansson, L. & Lidström-Holmqvist, K. (2019). Factors in daily life leading to the need for moving to a nursing home: Experiences from nursing home applicants. Paper presented at International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics European Region Congress (IAGG-ER), Gothenburg, Sweden, May 23-25, 2019. [BibTeX]
Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries
- Spang, L. (2024). Perspectives on the daily life of older adults applying for a nursing home. (Doctoral dissertation). (Comprehensive summary) Örebro: Örebro University. [BibTeX]
Manuscripts
- Spang, L. , Lidström-Holmqvist, K. , Pettersson, C. , Udumyan, R. & Holmefur, M. Ageing in place or in a nursing home : a case-control study comparing nursing homeapplicants to matched non-applicants. [BibTeX]
- Spang, L. , Lidström-Holmqvist, K. , Holmefur, M. & Pettersson, C. Older Adults’ Reasons for Applying to a Nursing Home : a Document Analysis. [BibTeX]