Médecins Sans Frontières - Psychological support in rest home

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF323987

Date taken / Date Recorded 10/05/2020 12:00 AM

Country Belgium

Commissioning section MSF-BELGIUM

Photographer / videographer / producer Carl Theunis

Copyright Carl Theunis/MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) Advertising Campaign, External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★★ (E)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m6s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 243.02 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist FNCT Thaïssa Verhue, caretaker
You're just doing your job, but it doesn't quite feel like your job anymore...
Like Thaïssa, many of the staff in the nursing homes are deeply affected by the psychological impact of the coronavirus.
That is why Doctors Without Borders offers psychological support to several nursing homes in Belgium.
Such as here, in "De Vierde Wand" in Genk.
Do you ever notice that you are having a hard time?
FNCT Sanne Kaelen, psychologist MSF
When we enter a nursing home, we get overwhelmed by a lot of emotions from the staff.
We see grief over the many residents they lost. Residents they have known for a long time.
We also see a lot of feelings of guilt, because they started off with insufficient material.
They were not prepared and received very little support. But they had to continue to care for the residents of course.
And afterwards they feel guilty. Was it me that infected them? Did I infect my colleagues?
And fear of course, because it doesn't stop here. They keep working here, in fear. And usually they are worried, mostly for others, not so much for themselves.
So yes, it’s hard to have to come back every day, feeling you can no longer provide the care you are used to giving.
I haven't been able to go the extra mile... Small attentions, small things they find very important, I just can't give more.
You’re working on autopilot. You do what you can, but people might not be happy with that.
In certain nursing homes people were queuing up to talk to me as a psychologist. I have never experienced that in my career.
They’re breaking the taboo and are recognizing their need: ‘we need to share our story’.

Psychological support in rest home | WEBCLIP ENG

Psychological support in rest home | WEBCLIP ENG