Mette Mørup Schlütter has a degree in anthropology from Aarhus University and specialises in health in the Arctic. Her Ph.D. thesis investigates what it is like to grow old in Greenland, combined with living in remote areas.

The number of older people in Greenland is growing which presents the municipalities with increasing financial, health and logistic challenges in keeping up the well-being among the elderly. At the same time, many young people relocate to larger towns, thereby rendering remote areas in Greenland primarily inhabited by older people.

Based on 12 months of field work in Uummannaq, Tasiilaq and Nuuk, Mette Schlütter investigates the daily lives of older people in Greenland, focusing on insecurities in terms of growing older as well as living in very remote areas of Greenland. Through collection of life stories, she explores turning points in the lives of older people, and how life stories have an impact on their coping with insecurities and challenges in old age, and the strengths and advantages of growing older as well.

The results will contribute to the development of policies for the elderly in Greenlandic municipalities, and educational material for the nurse training at University of Greenland. Mette Schlütter is enrolled at Institute for Nursing and Health Research at University of Greenland, and at Institute for Culture and Society at Aarhus University. Her Ph. D thesis is included in Ageing in the Arctic (AgeArc), a research and development project at Copenhagen University.