57

How can the unexploited resources of a patient and his family circle be utilized in order to stimulate resilience in a grieving person? This issue was researched by a social worker through a questionnaire completed by other healthcare workers and with a case study using the “Casita,” a house inspired by Maslow’s pyramid of needs. The author shows how valuable the concept of resilience is within a hospital and how useful it can be in approaching the issue of death in the elderly. Three professional perspectives are identified to encourage resilience and develop new strategies. In palliative care, the social worker could help the relationships between patients, family circle and medical team using resilience as a common denominator.