Nordharm
Sustainable Health and Social Care for Older Adults with Substance Use Problems
NORDHARM is a Nordic research initiative focused on developing sustainable models of health and social care for older adults who live with both care needs and alcohol‑ or drug‑related problems.
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The project brings together researchers from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Lithuania to better understand the challenges faced by this growing group and to strengthen support systems around them.
As more people age while managing combinations of care needs and substance use, traditional eldercare structures often struggle to provide effective support. Care needs can fluctuate in ways that do not align well with existing organizational routines, and many older adults are not seeking complete sobriety. Instead, they may benefit from approaches that reduce harm and promote stability, safety, and well‑being.
NORDHARM explores these issues by mapping current problems, policies, and practices across the Nordic region. The project develops and tests models for harm reduction‑oriented support and collaboration, aiming to improve how health and social services respond to the needs of older adults with substance use problems.
The project is led by Professor Håkan Jönson at the School of Social Work, Lund University, with participation from partners across the Nordic and Baltic region. At the School of Social Work, Associate Professor Tove Harnett also contributes to the research.
February 2 2026: Elina Virokannas gave a keynote presentation titled “Substance Use and Service Needs in Old Age” at Geriatripäivät 2026 (Finnish Geriatrics Conference).
May 28-29 2026: Jonas Strandhold Bach, Tove Harnett and Håkan Jönson arrange a symposium titled: ”Att åldras med beroendeproblem och komplexa behov: utmaningar och lovande praktiker för verksamheter som ger stöd och omsorg” [Ageing with substance use problems and complex needs: challanges and promising proacticies for providers of care and support] at the SKANROP conference on dual diagnosis, Aarhus, Danmark.
- October 21, 2025: Håkan Jönson and Tove Harnett participated in webinar on substance use problems and long-term care arranged by Socialstyrelsen. https://www.socialstyrelsen.se/kunskapsstod-och-regler/omraden/aldre/webbinarier/
- October 31 2025: Minna Zechner gave a presentation “Substance use of older adults as a phenomenon and a challenge for services” at Socca which is the Southern Finland joint social development and research organization of wellbeing services counties, Helsinki and the University of Helsinki.
- November 11 2025: Minna Zechner gave a presentation “Substance use of older adults as a phenomenon and a challenge for services” at the Health social work yearly event at the Tampere University.
- November 11 2025: Tove Harnett held a presentation titled “Äldreomsorg som Harm Reduction?” [Eldercare as Harm Reduction?] at Socionomdagarna [Social Workers’ Annual Conference] Stockholm, Sweden. 2025-11-25
- November 18, 2025: Tove Harnett and Håkan Jönson presented on substance use, ageing and specialized care facilities at a webinar arranged by FoU-Västerbotten.
- November 17, 20, 21 and December 2 & 4, 2025: Tove Harnett and Håkan Jönson provided education on substance use problems and harm reduction on ten occasions for all staff in long-term care in the municipality of Simrishamn.
- February-June 2026: Håkan Jönson has been granted the opportunity to develop education on substance use problems and harm reduction for staff in long-term care within the Social Impact Lab program that the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University will arrange during the spring semester 2026.
Tove Harnett: ”Att åldras med beroende” [Aging with Addiction] Tidskriften Alkohol och narkotika [Popular Science Journal on Alcohol and Drugs] 2025-12-03 (listed as one of the most read articles in the journal of 2025).
Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie: “Ansvarsglapp hinder för behandling” [Responsibility gap a barrier to treatment] Tidskriften Alkohol och narkotika [Popular Science Journal on Alcohol and Drugs] 2026-02-02.
Expert panel members
Torkel Richert, Malmö University
Marta Szebehely, Stockholm University
Frode Fadnes Jacobsen, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Virpi Timonen, University of Helsinki
User panels
(coming)
Facts
Funded by: NordForsk
Project leader: Håkan Jönson, Lund University
Call: Sustainable health and social care systems for elderly
Time frame: 2025-2029
More about the project: Research Portal, Lund University
Project participants
University of Helsinki
Minna M Zechner minna [dot] zechner [at] helsinki [dot] fi (minna[dot]zechner[at]helsinki[dot]fi)
Teija E Karttunen, teija [dot] karttunen [at] helsinki [dot] fi (teija[dot]karttunen[at]helsinki[dot]fi)
Lund University
Håkan Jönson hakan [dot] jonson [at] soch [dot] lu [dot] se (hakan[dot]jonson[at]soch[dot]lu[dot]se)
Tove Harnett tove [dot] harnett [at] soch [dot] lu [dot] se (tove[dot]harnett[at]soch[dot]lu[dot]se)
Lina Olsson lina [dot] olsson [at] soch [dot] lu [dot] se (lina[dot]olsson[at]soch[dot]lu[dot]se)
University College Copenhagen
Jonas Strandholdt Bach jons [at] kp [dot] dk (jons[at]kp[dot]dk)
Line Hillersdal lihi [at] kp [dot] dk (lihi[at]kp[dot]dk)
University of Lapland
Elina Virokannas Elina [dot] Virokannas [at] ulapland [dot] fi (Elina[dot]Virokannas[at]ulapland[dot]fi)
Ursula Grönvall ursula [dot] gronvall [at] ulapland [dot] fi (ursula[dot]gronvall[at]ulapland[dot]fi)
Vilnius University
Jūratė Charenkova jurate [dot] charenkova [at] fsf [dot] vu [dot] lt (jurate[dot]charenkova[at]fsf[dot]vu[dot]lt)
Artur Airapetian artur [dot] airapetian [at] mf [dot] stud [dot] vu [dot] lt (artur[dot]airapetian[at]mf[dot]stud[dot]vu[dot]lt)
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Gloria Abena Ampim Gloria [dot] Ampim [at] hvl [dot] no (Gloria[dot]Ampim[at]hvl[dot]no)
Gudmund Ågotnes gudmund [dot] agotnes [at] hvl [dot] no (gudmund[dot]agotnes[at]hvl[dot]no)
Affiliated members
Umeå University
Wossenseged Birhane Jemberie wossenseged [dot] jemberie [at] umu [dot] se (wossenseged[dot]jemberie[at]umu[dot]se)