‘Good Treatment’ in Residential Care Settings in Quebec: Meanings, Practices and Conditions

Abstract

The concept of ‘bientraitance’(good treatment) of older adults was introduced in Quebec policy a few years prior to the pandemic, and its significance from the perspectives of those directly involved in care remains underexplored. Centring these perspectives, this article presents findings from a study of the meanings, practices and conditions of good treatment. Data was collected at three different residential care settings through world cafés with residents, staff, management, volunteers and family members ( n = 61) and through interviews with care aides ( n = 13). The study results indicate that those directly involved in care identify good treatment as fundamentally oriented towards developing and maintaining good relationships with residents; as contingent upon interpersonal, material, and organizational factors; and as requiring (more) time. Given the need for radical reform within Quebec’s residential care settings revealed by the pandemic, it is imperative that these perspectives inform the changes introduced.