With its name combining the words “human” and “attitude,” humanitude, was developed by Yves Ginest and Rosette Marescotti of France whose major study was in physical education and has a history of more than 35 years.
Their techniques in care are based on comprehensive communication based on perception, emotion, and language.
It is a technique for all people who need to be cared, not limited to people with dementia and aging. By acting on the human characteristics of
“seeing,” “speaking,” “touching,” and “standing,”
the caregiver always gives the message “You are an important being” and “I value you”. It is important to continue to reach out to those in need of care. It allows people to feel that they are the one and only and that they are respected. ‘Humanitude’ is a philosophy and technique that respects and conveys the humanity of those who need care.
The above seems difficult for us but it is actually what we always do naturally.
Helping someone who needs support is very natural and it is not a difficult thing.
Helping someone who is weaker than you is very easy.
However, the reality is that we cannot easily accept our parents and relatives who are getting older or weaker. We always have memorised our parents and relatives who are strong and healthy. Now that they are weak but we hope they will soon be strong and healthy as they were in the past.
It is very nice to have hope, but it is important to accept their current situation.
I have also experienced the situation and I could not easily accept my mother getting old. I hope my mother could be rejuvenated so I could be more positive with her to recuperate her health. When I finally accepted my mother’s current situation, I became easy and I have been kind to my mother.
We reached out to care for them but in fact, we have enriched ourselves via the process of caring. If we cannot spend enough time to support them, this will make them frustrated as well.
In the end, it is about accommodating and be left alone, sometimes too much love will turn into hatred.
Since we have not reached old age yet, we cannot honestly and completely understand the feelings of physically handicapped experienced by elderly people, but we can make an effort to understand them. It is important to consider the position of other person. This is not only for the elderly, it is also important for our living.
A few days ago, I came across a handicapped person inadvertently dropped a coin onto the floor, an elderly person nearby on the side immediately picked up the coin and returned to that handicapped person. It was a casual scene but when I thought about it carefully, I have realized that it was an elderly person but not other younger persons nearby who have done the favour.
It was not so easy for an elderly person to pick up the coin that fell onto the floor, let alone understand that the physically handicapped person is even more difficult to retrieve the coin.
The incident was championed by an elderly person with kind and understanding.
I wish I can live in an environment sharing with others space and kind daily.
Stay safe, keep healthy and happy !!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mamie H.Ogata
Principal of OEUF Limited
Born in Hong Kong and educated in Tokyo. Returned to Hong Kong after eight years in Shanghai. Family’s background in medical, change her profession into Elderly Care after 20 years spent in architecture. An entrepreneur who introduces Japanese Elderly Care to Hong Kong from a different perspective. With partnerships in Japan and Taiwan.