Today I received my University Diploma in Gerontology from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), after completing the final examinations in November 2016.
Running an eldercare business means spending a great deal of time on buildings, budgets, teams and growth. They all matter, but they are not the whole reality of ageing.
I wanted to go beyond the business side of the work and look more closely at what shapes an older person’s everyday life: health, autonomy, identity, family relationships and the experience of needing support.
That also means trying to understand the same situation through the eyes of everyone involved – residents, relatives, doctors, nurses, care assistants and the people managing the community. Each sees a different part of the truth, and good care depends on bringing those perspectives together.
I am especially grateful to Prof. Joël Belmin, Dr. Linda Benattar and Prof. Alain Franco for their support and encouragement. I learned a great deal from each of them, not only about gerontology, but about the responsibility that comes with turning knowledge into everyday care.
This diploma does not give me simple answers. It gives me a better set of questions, which may be more useful.