Providing care and support to older adults at home during lockdown
Type de matériel :
93
This article reports on the experience of workers providing care and support to elderly people in their homes at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in France. We compare two contexts: case management in a coordinated structure (MAIA) and physiotherapy in private practice. This research was conducted jointly by two professionals and a sociologist, from data collection (interviews and accounts of practices from March to June 2020) to analysis and writing. We analyze the challenges faced by the professionals in this period characterized by confinement, health risks, uncertainties, and lack of resources. They had to decide whether to stop or resume home visits, to adapt their practices and their missions in order to provide care and support remotely, and to respond to the isolation and increased health and social difficulties of the population. However, the difficulties experienced day-to-day were not just a result of the pandemic. They also revealed structural issues specific to these professions. The health crisis has highlighted the indispensable role of these professions, opening up possibilities for recognition and for new projects and partnerships. However, at the same time, hierarchies between professional groups have been exacerbated, and some actions have been made invisible. Furthermore, the ongoing reorganizations in the health and medico-social sectors have strongly constrained the field of possibilities.
Réseaux sociaux