Talant: Tales to Rethink Well-Being in Medical and Social Establishments

"It's a great achievement for us," confided Virginie Huguenotte, psychosociologist, and Clarisse Thiaw-Sambou, lawyer, co-authors of Une histoire de droit , a book of stories dedicated to good treatment in medical and social environments, launched this Tuesday, June 10 at the La Providence nursing home in Talant.

Both members of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Health Quality Network (ReQUA), the co-authors began writing in early 2024, following a call for projects launched by the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regional health agency (ARS).

This first volume of a three-part series is structured around sixteen stories divided into eight major themes, ranging from dignity to intimacy, including image rights and confidentiality. "This first volume is aimed at medical and social establishments, the second will target health services, and the third at home care providers," explains Clarisse Thiaw-Sambou.

The book is based on several observations: a persistent lack of awareness of the rights of residents in nursing homes (EHPADs), sometimes accompanied by a lack of questioning of professional practices. "The idea was to create a fun tool that allows for the popularization of laws in an educational manner," emphasizes Virginie Huguenotte.

Each story depicts a situation inspired by everyday medical and social work. This Tuesday, Virginie Huguenotte, for example, read the chapter "The One Too Many Joke ," a story that illustrates the issue of residents' image rights. This is followed by a reminder of the applicable legal framework, followed by a short philosophical reflection, offering a step back.

Around 500 copies will be distributed to nursing homes in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region starting in early July. This initiative was welcomed by Emmanuelle Coint, vice-president of the Côte-d'Or departmental council: "This book could also be useful to medical students to help them think about their future careers."

Loïc Grall, president of the Arc-en-Ciel Foundation , which manages care facilities in the region, also stresses the importance of the approach: "Good treatment is a priority, and this requires concrete tools and communication on residents' rights."

Vincent Gay, director of the La Providence nursing home, shares the same opinion: "It's a book which, if approached properly and as a team, really allows us to question our practices."