A Lecture on “’Humanitude’, a Multisensory Communication Caregiving Method, and its Perspectives on Humanity” was Held

A lecture discussing “Humanitude”, a multisensory communication care-giving method and its perspectives on humanity, which was organized and moderated by Prof. Sakiko Yoshikawa, was held on March 23rd, 2019 at the Inamori Center.

Humanitude is a caregiving method that emphasizes sensory communication, with caregivers making use of speech and touch when interacting with patients. This method was named “Humanitude” to help caregivers and patients “take back humanity”. Prof. Yves Gineste (the founder of Humanitude) was invited to speak about how Humanitude was created and came to be applied to elderly care facilities.

In 1979, Prof. Gineste, along with Rosette Marescotti, began working in a hospital to train hospital staff in ways to prevent back pain and how to properly move patients. It shocked them to see how many patients were bedridden and how few staff-patient’ interactions occurred.

During Prof. Gineste’s previous role in physical education, he taught his students that bodily movement is necessary to staying healthy. However, what he saw at the hospitals was the opposite of his teaching: patients were restrained and were not talked to.
In the wake of this difficult experience, they worked with over 30,000 patients and founded Humanitude, which comprises 400 practical methods to support patients and help them retain their humanity.

The four key components of Humanitude are the communication skills of “looking, talking, touching and standing”. Humanitude is a skill set that enables caregivers to communicate kindness to the patientin ways that they understand. Prof. Gineste asserted that patient freedom is crucial, and thus physical restraints are not used in Humanitude. Caregivers treat patients as equals; they look them in the eye, talk to them and touch them. He also argued that if caregivers treat patients in accordance with the philosophy of Humanitude, it is possible for people who have become more dependent due to illness or the loss of cognitive functions to live with dignity.

　Prof. Yoshikawa

　Prof. Gineste

　Dr. Honda

　Lecture

2019/05/21