Since 1 December 2019, Professor Tineke A. Abma is Executive Director of Leyden Academy of Vitality and Ageing. For over twenty-five years, she has been researching themes closely related to ageing, such as patient and citizen participation, long-term care, ethics and diversity. Taking the perspective of older individuals as a starting point and respecting and valuing the differences between people, is her personal motivation and also a key characteristic in the research and activities of the Leyden Academy.
In July 2021, Tineke was appointed Endowed Professor of Participation of Older People at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). She leads research activities aimed at strengthening the position of older people and patients in health care, policy, and scientific research, with special attention for the inclusion of vulnerable persons in society. Until January 2022, Tineke was Professor of Participation & Diversity at Amsterdam University Medical Center (location VUmc). She was trained as a nurse, and earned her PhD in 1996 at the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Management of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. From 2002 to 2009, she was Associate Professor at Maastricht University, before she was appointed Endowed Professor of Client Participation in Elderly Care in Amsterdam.
Tineke is (co-)author of several books, such as Participatory research for health and social well-being (2019), Evaluation for a Caring Society (2018), and Responsive methodology. Interactive research in practice (2006).
Tineke co-founded the Centre for Client Experiences in 2014 and is founder of the School for Participation in 2018. Since 2020, she is member of the Scientific Council of Institute GAK, and chair of the Waardenwerk (Ethics Work) foundation.
Topics
Patient and citizen participation in healthcare, policy and academic research, diversity and inclusion, informal care, ethics of care, vitality and resilience, inclusive elderly care
In the media
Tineke appears regularly in Dutch media on topics related to ageing, elderly care, and the participation of older people in society. In 2020 and 2021, Tineke generated attention for the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the health and wellbeing of older people. She was interviewed by national newspapers and invited to various prime time news shows, such as SBS6 Hart van Nederland. Several op-eds were published, for example in newspaper Trouw and in Journal Sociale Vraagstukken.
Publications
Tineke Abma published more than 150 international scientific articles (H-index 40), click here for an overview. Please find below a selection of recent, relevant articles:
- E. Bendien, B. Groot, and T.A. Abma, Circles of impacts within and beyond participatory action research with older people, Ageing & Society (2020)
- T.A. Abma and E. Bendien, Autonomy in old age, Family and Law (2019)
- S. Woelders and T.A. Abma, Participatory Action Research to enhance the collective involvement of residents in elderly care: about power, dialogue and understanding, Action research (2019)
- H. Leyerzapf, M. Visse, A. de Beer, and T.A. Abma, Gay-friendly care: creating space for sexual diversity in residential care by challenging the hetero norm, Ageing & Society (2016)
- T.A. Abma and V.E. Baur, User involvement in long-term care. Toward a care ethics approach, Health Expectations (2014)
- F. Boelsma, V.E. Baur, S. Woelders, and T.A. Abma, “Small” things matter: Residents’ involvement in practice improvements in long-term care facilities, Journal of Aging Studies (2014)
- J. Bindels, V.E. Baur, K. Cox, S. Heijng, and T.A. Abma, Older people as co-researchers: a collaborative journey, Ageing & Society (2013)
PhD theses
Tineke supervised more than thirty PhDs. Please find below a selection of dissertations covering topics related to vitality, the participation of older people and inclusive elderly care:
- Rosalie Metze. Independence or interdependence? A responsive evaluation of Family Group Conferencing for older adults (2016)
- Maaike Muntinga. Together toward transition. Implementing a comprehensive care program for frail, older people in primary care (2016)
- Miranda Snoeren. Working + Learning. A complexity approach to workplace learning within residential care for older people (2015)
- Bienke Janssen. Resilience and old age. Community care from an insider and empowerment perspective (2014)
- Jill Bindels. Caring for community-dwelling frail older people. A responsive evaluation (2014)
- Fenna van Nes. Everyday activities of aging couples. Challenges in the face of declining health (2013)
- Vivianne Baur. Participation & partnership. Developing the influence of older people in residential care homes (2012)
- Sandra van der Dam. Ethics support in elderly care. Developments and specific needs for ethics support and an evaluation of Moral Case Deliberation in two Dutch elderly care organizations (2012)