News dominated by reports of abuse in nursing homes
Promoting respectful care and preventing mistreatment are major challenges for the healthcare system today. This is also one of the mandatory criteria for HAS certification, regardless of the type of healthcare facility.
In early 2022, the news was dominated by several reports condemning acts of mistreatment in nursing homes.
But what exactly is this all about?
Abuse can take many forms, as shown in the following table (source: WHO):
Several studies appear to indicate an increase in the prevalence of maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing this scourge has become more than necessary.
History and Definition of Elder Abuse
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as "a single or repeated act, or a failure to intervene appropriately, within a relationship that is supposed to be one of trust, resulting in injury or emotional distress to the older person affected."
This problem is not new, however, as evidenced by the numerous initiatives undertaken and the major areas of work implemented by the WHO (and the HAS in France).
Originating in the mid-1990s in the early childhood sector, the term "positive treatment" quickly spread throughout the entire healthcare and social services sector to address the issue of abuse in care.*
Furthermore, the National Agency for the Evaluation of Social and Medico-Social Establishments and Services (ANESM), whose mission is to conduct internal and external evaluations and provide recommendations for best professional practices, sought to define this term. Thus, benevolent treatment is defined as "a way of being, acting, and speaking that is attentive to others, responsive to their needs and requests, and respectful of their choices and refusals."
This definition addresses the issue of mistreatment in nursing homes (EHPADs), making it potentially useful for promoting compassionate care in these facilities.
According to the French National Authority for Health (HAS), promoting compassionate care means "strengthening a model of care and support for residents in care facilities that is centered on their needs, expectations, and preferences." It also means encouraging residents to participate in their care by involving them in the decision-making process that affects them.
Furthermore, promoting respectful treatment also helps improve the quality of care and, consequently, the health of residents.
Human Factors and Respectful Treatment in Nursing Homes: A First Step Thanks to the SafeTeam Academy
With the ongoing goal of improving practices and ensuring patient safety through training, the SafeTeam Academy is also fostering a culture of respectful care in nursing homes with the first video-simulation module on respectful care and human factors in nursing homes.
Created by the SafeTeam Academy, with support from ANFH Bourgogne and the participation of recognized experts such as Alice Casagrande, this module fosters a culture of respectful care by engaging caregivers in a dialogue about their practices and addressing organizational issues such as the facility’s wake-up and bedtime schedules, mealtimes, and water distribution. It also outlines a framework for managing behavioral challenges in older adults, emphasizing respect for residents’ rights and freedoms, listening to their needs, and encouraging the reporting and prevention of mistreatment. Numerous topics are covered, including the principle of respectful care, welcoming residents, appropriate behavior, factors contributing to cognitive decline, providing care, and crisis management. Through this solution, the SafeTeam Academy has already assisted several facilities, such as the EHPAD (nursing home) in Le Creusot, where practices have been improved by raising staff awareness of a culture of respectful care. The e-learning module can be supplemented by a debriefing and facilitated discussions aimed at improving practices.
If you too would like to foster a culture of respectful care within your facilities, choose our " Human Factors & Respectful Care in Nursing Homes " module.
