Elisabeth Reitinger

Elisabeth Reitinger is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna, where she has been employed since 2018. She serves as Vice Director of Studies for the Sociology Directorate and teaches courses in nursing science, research ethics, palliative care, and gender studies. Previously, she worked from 2003-2018 at IFF (Faculty for Interdisciplinary Research and Continuing Education), Institute for Palliative Care and Organizational Ethics, where she held leadership positions.

Her research focuses on palliative care for the elderly, dementia care, gender and diversity issues in healthcare, and care ethics. She specializes in participatory research methods with vulnerable populations, particularly examining social inclusion and support systems for elderly individuals living alone and those with dementia. Her work consistently integrates gender perspectives to understand how care needs and experiences differ across populations.

Analysis of her recent publications shows a strong emphasis on ethical research practices with vulnerable groups, gender dimensions in palliative care, and creating dementia-friendly environments. Her work spans both theoretical contributions to care ethics and practical applications in healthcare settings, with increasing attention to environmental sustainability in care facilities.

Prof. Reitinger has received research funding from BMWFW Sparkling Science 2.0 for projects including 'Generationen-freundliche Stadt (GESTA)', 'Vielfalt in Palliative und Community Care', and 'Older People Living Alone – the Gender Perspective (OPLA)'. She has supervised numerous master's theses and doctoral candidates through her research colloquia.

She is actively involved in several professional organizations including as a founding member of WINET, and as a member of the Austrian Society for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Austrian Palliative Society, Austrian Society for Gender Research, and the Society for Palliative Geriatrics.