L’activité physique en Établissement d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes (EHPAD) : alignement médical ou émancipation ?

Abstract

In France, in an unfavorable medico-economic context and facing medical recommendations for the prevention of weaknesses, Residential Care Homes for the Elderly or EHPAD (Établissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes) organize adapted physical activities. Based on a regional survey in Occitania over 255 establishments of the former Midi-Pyrénées region, this paper shows the diversity of projects in progress. The establishments favor a therapeutic approach involving various implementations and professional specializations. A typology of the programming modes of physical activity concludes that if some institutes favor a re-educational conception of physical activity, the majority prefers a recreational or socio-educational approach according to the means available locally.

Keywords

• physical activity
• public health
• adapted physical activity
• Residential Care Homes for the Elderly or EHPAD
• medical-social sector
• medicalisation