Context


In the current post-pandemic, demographic, and socio-sanitary context, the lack of studies on local places of long-term care, and the realities of residents, family caregivers and healthcare professionals represents a significant obstacle to the management of Quebec's long-term care facilities (CHSLD), which are often socially and culturally marginalized. 

It is, therefore, crucial to examine not only the lived experiences of residents, their relatives, and professional caregivers but also the practices and dynamics shaping care and end of life in CHSLD environments.  This includes analyzing how these are influenced by organizational, relational and ethical challenges and transformations.


Methods


In the framework of this project, I am conducting a 14-month research fieldwork in two care units, using an ethnographic approach combining observations and interviews. 

I am examining the ways in which eldercare is provided, how various actors express their perceptions and construct meaning, and how the moralities and ethics of caregiving are enacted in these places of care. My anthropological approach is oriented towards decolonizing research practices with community collaborators in a non-extractive and collaborative way.

Aim


The objective is to make visible the sociocultural and ethical representations underlying care and end-of-life experiences while amplifying the voices of these essential actors who are too often marginalized or silenced. 

This research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of long-term and end-of-life care for older adults in Quebec—its organizational, relational and ethical dimensions— to better envision its actualization. Ultimately, the project's social relevance lies in creating a space for reflection and dialogue, putting forward the future of long-term care, together with the support of older adults, care professionals and family caregivers.

Fields of study

Research interests

Fieldwork log

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