Margareta Halek

Chair of Nursing Science
 

Margareta Halek has been researching the topic of caring for people with dementia for more than 15 years. She is particularly interested in how to deal with those affected who show behavioural changes. Both people with dementia themselves and carers and relatives should be empowered to be preventively effective, reflect on their own behaviour and minimise negative consequences. After all, successful communication and interaction are a fundamental prerequisite for functioning care relationships and therefore for good care.

In addition, Margareta Halek's research focusses on basic nursing tasks and their effectiveness. The development and evaluation of care interventions should take place in a joint dialogue with the people in need of care, their representatives and the people working in care.

Research projects

03/2024 - 02/2025
ParDeVI: Participatory focus group-based development of an individualised video feedback intervention programme for people with dementia living at home and their carers, funded by the BMBF.

02/2023 - 12/2024
"It just takes time" - limits and possibilities of participatory research with family carers of people with dementia. Internal research funding UW/H.

05/2021 - 04/2024
MINDED.RUHR: My INdividual Digital Education. Joint project (8 partners in total), internal cooperation Chair of Nursing Science + Chair of Didactics and Educational Research in Health Science. Joint project funded by BMBF.

09/2020 - 02/2024
Communio firmo prosperamus: Development of a concept that can be used to promote the experience of a good community in inpatient care facilities. PI Margareta Halek in cooperation with the St. Clara retirement home in Salzkotten, funded by: Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRW, co-applicant.

02/2020 - 01/2023
eDEM-CONNECT: Development of a communication and service platform for carers of people with dementia with behavioural problems, funded by BMBF.

2018 - 2022
MoNoPol-Sleep: Multi-modal, non-pharmacological interventions for sleep problems in nursing home residents with dementia: a cluster-randomised exploratory study, funding by BMBF.

2016 - 2018
Vifa: Vielfallt from a single source. Neighbourhood-based comprehensive care contract for people in need of care at home. Study on the evaluation and implementation of a structural innovation. Applicant and PI, cooperation project with Städtische Seniorenheimen Krefeld, funded by Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRW.

2015 - 2018
insideDEM: understanding the behaviour of persons with dementia with assistive technologies using diagnostic and decision processes. Applicant and network coordinator, BMBF funding.

2015 - 2017
REDEZEIT: Telephone-based support groups for informal caregivers caring for persons with dementia, co-project leader (evaluation), cooperation project with Leipzig University, funding: GKV.

2013 - 2015
FallDem II: Case discussions for people with dementia: Evaluation of the effects. Applicant and PI, cooperation project with Kaiserswerther Diakonie, Düsseldorf, funding: Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege.

2010 - 2013
Leben-QD: Strengthening the quality of life of people with dementia. Co-applicant and PI, funding from Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege; Johanniter Seniorenhäuser GmbH.
 

Own funds

since 2023
The Fundamentals of Care Framework (FOC). Transfer and clarification of relevance for the care of older people in Germany.

since 2022
AWMF Guideline S2: "Social participation and quality of life in inpatient care for the elderly under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic". Cooperation with DGP.

2020
HeiCO: Study to record the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on care in residential care facilities for the elderly (cooperation with several Universities of Applied Sciences and universities)

2020
Development of an AWMF S1 guideline on "Social participation and quality of life in inpatient care for the elderly under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic". Scientific management, cooperation with DGP
 

Dominique Autschbach, M. A.
Academic staff

Claudia Dinand, MScN
Research Assistant

Franziska Jagoda, M. Sc.
Research Assistant

PhD Özlem Köseoglu-Örnek, MScN
Research Assistant

Manuela Malek, M. Sc.
Research assistant
 

since 2021
Dean of the Faculty of Health

since 2019
Chair of Nursing Science and Head of the School of Nursing Science, Witten/Herdecke University

2016 - 2019
Junior Professor of Nursing Science specialising in the care of people with dementia, Witten/Herdecke University

2009 - 2019
Head of the Care Interventions working group at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases - DZNE in Witten; deputy site spokesperson

2010
Doctoral studies Dr. rer. medic, topic "Development and testing of a structured reference guide to record the reasons for challenging behaviour of people with dementia in inpatient care for the elderly"

2001 - 2009
Research assistant at the Institute for Nursing Science at Witten/Herdecke University, Chair of Nursing Science and Epidemiology under Prof. S. Bartholomeyczik

1996 - 2001
Study of Nursing Science, BScN, MScN, Institute of Nursing Science, Witten/Herdecke University

1992 - 2001
Training and work as a geriatric nurse in geriatric care facilities, Lüdenscheid
 

Margareta Halek teaches on

• quantitative research methods,
• effectiveness evaluations,
• participatory research methods,
• assessment instruments in nursing and
• communication

in the Master's degree programmes Nursing Science, Community Health Nursing and Dentistry. She supervises master's colloquia and internships for nursing science students and doctoral students in the doctoral programme in nursing science.