Life in Care Homes during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Fondé sur des entretiens réalisés avec 37 résidents vivant dans 15 établissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes (Ehpad), cet article se propose d’analyser leurs expériences variées du premier confinement. Dans un premier temps, il montre que l’expérience du confinement a pris des formes différentes en fonction des modes d’habiter en Ehpad. Ceux qui vivaient repliés dans leur chambre voient peu de différences avec la vie d’avant. Ceux qui habitaient l’Ehpad en s’appropriant les espaces collectifs tendent à percevoir le confinement comme une privation de ces espaces. Enfin, ceux qui étaient tournés vers l’extérieur de l’établissement insistent plutôt sur l’absence de liberté de circuler en dehors de l’Ehpad qui a marqué la période. Dans un second temps, l’article explore trois autres facteurs qui éclairent également les expériences du confinement : les modalités de confinement mises en place par l’Ehpad dans lequel ils résident, les ressources occupationnelles ou relationnelles que les Ehpad ont pu mobiliser et la trajectoire antérieure des résidents.

The limits of social investment and the resilience of long-term care

“…Paid care provision concentrating on vital tasks largely continued throughout the first wave of the pandemic, and financial schemes were deployed to support the workers who could not work. This showed an apparent resilience of the system (Balard et al, 2021). In March 2020, staff in home care and nursing homes were theoretically designated as a priority group for receiving protective equipment, but its availability was very limited (Caillaud et al, 2022).…”

“…Solutions were sometimes found to maintain links with family members outside, and some caregivers, portrayed as heroes, decided to move into the nursing homes and live there to minimize the risk of virus circulation. Nevertheless, this could not compensate for the reduction in activities for the elderly, and many elderly people began to suffer from psychological problems (Balard et al, 2021).…”

“…Solutions were sometimes found to maintain links with family members outside, and some caregivers, portrayed as heroes, decided to move into the nursing homes and live there to minimize the risk of virus circulation. Nevertheless, this could not compensate for the reduction in activities for the elderly, and many elderly people began to suffer from psychological problems(Balard et al, 2021).Prevented from visiting their elderly family members in institutional care, unpaid (family) caregivers could theoretically continue to visit them at home. They were excluded from the very strict lockdown rules that prevented other citizens from leaving their place of residence, 40 but not all family members could visit their elderly relatives, especially when they did not live in the same town.…”