From representations of the older patients to care management practices: towards an opportunity of co-production between care staff and patients[Des représentations des patients âgés aux pratiques de gestion des soins: vers une opportunité de coproduction soignant-soigné]

The service relationship engaging vulnerable individuals (i.e. elderly patients) is seen as an asymmetrical relationship, to the disadvantage of the latter, fed by the representations of the vulnerable elderly patient and by the legitimacy in the administration of the care that the Health workers give themselves. This asymmetry is incumbent on the practices of care that will be (re)configured along the service experiences between health personnel and elderly patients. By mobilizing a qualitative approach with the healthcare staff of a Geriatric service, this research shows a varied instrumentalisation of the vulnerability of the elderly patient either to accentuate the guardianship and the control on the latter or, on the contrary, to relieve certain tasks included within the care relationship on this population paving the way for more co-production of care, and to "do with" elderly patients (with a palette of intermediate situations related to the variety of interaction contexts).