Geriatricians and gerontologists are asking for “more freedom” in nursing homes as the Covid-19 epidemic slows down.
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“It is not normal that we remain on precautions that are no longer necessary” to protect residents of nursing homes from Covid, explained on franceinfo Pr Nathalie Salles, president and the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SFGG), head of the gerontology department at the Bordeaux University Hospital, while the Covid-19 epidemic slows down and that geriatricians and gerontologists ask “more freedom” in nursing homes.
franceinfo: Why such a request?
Nathalie Halls: What jumps out at us is the gap between what is happening in town and for us. In town, there is no mask in transport, in the cinema or in the theater. In nursing homes, there is always the wearing of a mask, restrictions, entry controls and residents who must wear the mask even if they are spaced out from each other. Some have not seen their loved ones for two years without removing the mask. The gap is too great and we want to take a stand against these measures and we are asking for these measures to be revised.
Is there any suffering?
Yes. Wanting too much to protect residents is taking their lives away. The Ehpad is a place of life, not a hospital. We carried out a study which showed that with these constraints and these limitations there was an increase in sadness, worry and signs of anorexia in these residents throughout the period of confinement. For us, it is not normal that we remain on precautions that are no longer necessary.
Do you consider that there is no longer any health risk for these people?
This is a population that is particularly well protected by vaccination. So, we will watch, there will always be time to readjust the shot. But we do not want us to forget the residents of nursing homes during this summer period and we want to lift these measures which seem too restrictive to us.