Saara Kukkohovi

My research focuses on promoting older people’s functioning and activity through digital gaming. I am especially interested in the dimension of physical functioning and activity due to my background as a physiotherapist, but I am also interested in how playing digital games and improve psychological and social functioning of older people. As the number of older people increases and care resources decrease, I find it very important that our older people remain active and functional as long as possible.

In my dissertation I investigate and describe the effects of digital gaming on functioning and activity of older people in a long-term care environment. In this dissertation research I implement a digital gaming intervention based on systematic literature review in long-term care facilities. In addition to research, I lecture on this subject to health care professionals to increase their knowledge.

I do my research in GeroNursing Centre, which is a centre of research and expertise at the University of Oulu, ​providing research, education and networks for ​both the successful aging of older adults and the well-being at work of health care professionals. I also teach health sciences studies at both bachelor’s and master’s levels, and I work as a tutor teacher.