The work of educators in retirement homes

Abstract

Among the many possible conditions for elderly people in our society, being in a residential care home carries one of the highest risks of marginalization and depersonalization. In fact, at the present time, a managerial organization of care work tends to have a negative impact in retirement homes, by emphasizing the economic aspect and pushing operators towards the simple application of strict protocols, losing the overall vision of the individual with his/her experience. By connecting the perspectives of social education and special education, this essay suggests an indepth study of the role that the educator can play in these contexts, developing opportunities for humanization that allow elderly people to live their own story as protagonists.