Francine Le Bozec was “Men’s suit” Near the Elyseos fields, in Paris. “I wore ministers and even President Mitterrand. He was nice. It always came with a large sweet box. » She smiles but does not take her eyes off her dominoes. At 91, he plays with Elisa Keromest, 103, who always wins. A white chicken, sitting in a stool, observes them by tilting their heads. What brings your old age? “The pleasure of being alive!”Francine responds. And here there is always someone willing to help us. We’re ok. »
The afternoon falls. The caregivers put the table. It is almost the time of dinner, in early October, in the establishment of accommodation for older people (EHPAD) of Kersalic, in Guingamp (Côtes-D’Armor).
An elderly asylum? After the entrance of the modern building, located in a poor area of the city, the acronym is prohibited. The nursing home claims the title of “People”. Like every municipality, it has a “central square”. His corridors are called “streets.” There is a grocery store, a “town hall coffee”, a “post office”, a “portfolio”: Simone Lautrou, 90s, resident in the elderly residence, is responsible for distributing the mail to the other residents. There are 72 in total. Here they are called “residents.”
To recreate the atmosphere of the home., Nothing is left to random: caregivers do not wear gowns, there are no medicine carts parked in front of the rooms. Seven cats, a dog and a chicken have the right to stay. “Old age is not a diseaseRemember Geneviève Guy, psychologist of the establishment. Residents are not, in our eyes, older people, much less dependent. These are Homo sapiensliving beings like you and like me. In summary, the role of caregivers here is quite simple: we are life respirators. » Among the smell of crepes served in coffee, Anne-Marie Cadoudal, 92, leds the newspaper: “Here is habitable”, nods–she said.
“An establishment that can show the way”
In Kersalic, even the most prostrated bed is encouraged to remain independent. “We are looking for what the person is still able to do for himself”Corinne Antoine-Guillaume, Director, alias Mrs. Mayor of the town of Kersalic. This was Georgette Potier to the pool for the first time at 89 and Renée Le Saint, 84, remembers her “Part of fun”, In winter of 2023, on the ice rink.
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