On personhood in residential and long-term care centres

Abstract

For many years, there has been a great deal of discussion about “personhood” in healthcare, particularly in long-term care. Intervention programs are designed to be person-centered. The quality of care and services is measured in terms of respect for the person. But what exactly does this concept mean? Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in long-term care facilities, we will examine four main meanings given by the caregivers and the residents to the word of personhood (the autonomous person, the vulnerable person, the unique person, and the good person) and how these meanings are expressed in behaviors and care. More specifically, we will focus on how the idea of personhood brings together broader values and its ethical dimensions. The goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the concept of personhood in contemporary western societies.