Thinking during the pandemic: the experience of grieving in nursing homes. Between rupture and continuity

Résumé 0

Context and issuesSince the start of the pandemic, the situation of nursing homes has received particular attention, emphasizing the impact of health conditions on end-of-life support and bereavement. Many ethical questions arose there: how to comply with health standards while maintaining a human relationship and trust with people?MethodThe project aims to design training/support modules for nursing homes, from the perspective of a community of care, using the tools of research in human and social sciences. For this, we conducted an exploratory survey within three groups of nursing homes with various dimensions and characteristics. From March to July 2021, semi-structured interviews were carried out with residents and relatives who had gone through bereavement in the last 6 months. Focus groups were also carried out with support professionals. Discussion and PerspectivesOne of the major challenges of our work is to question the way in which the subject of mourning, in particular in the context of a pandemic, makes it possible to address issues relating to living together in the EHPAD. Issues related to mourning and loss question people's living and working conditions. Practices and discourses are also particularly questioned in their meaning and symbolism, in particular through the place and function of ritual practices.