Geneva: day households, the solution to age at home

It is 10 am this Tuesday when we arrive at the new day house in the Foundation For age. Located in the recent building complex, the quartet, straddling the rue de Lyon and that of Burgundy, the 280 m² brand new premises from the Soubeyran hearth are very bright. The sun, which is reflected on the windows of the building opposite, bathes the rooms with a soft light.

The fifteen elders present that day share breakfast. Living in the neighborhood, they arrived between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., transported by the foundation minibus, and will stay until 4 p.m.

On the program of the day: activities and two meals, morning snack and lunch. “We have five day households in the canton of Geneva,” explains the director of these pro Senectute structures, Jérémy Legrand. The purpose of these places is to allow people who wish to stay as long as possible at home and relieve caregivers. ”

Medico-social support

The homes offer global medico-social support where the elders can make new friends. Throughout the day, they participate in activities, karaoke, gym, quiz, board games or excursions, in the afternoon. Recently, they went to Morges at the Tulip Festival.

That morning, after their snack, the fifteen participants-seven women and six men-, comfortably seated in a semicircle, gathered around the two animators, Bianca Ihle and Johan Caro.

Gerda is preparing to reach her place using her walker. She lives in Saint-Jean and comes once a week, she appreciates these moments of friendship: “Seeing other people when you live alone is necessary.”

Solicit memory

Bianca, the host, launches to the cantonade: “Everyone is fine?” You have to hold on for gymnastics. ” On a table, she registers the program for the day. “What day do we live?” she questions. The responses fuse… She ends up writing basically the day on the board, then she questions the current year. “2000 and some,” replies a lady. A neighbor corrects it immediately: “2025 and it is 10 am and quarter!”

Bianca continues to write on the board. Then, at 11 a.m., the participants will take the tonic gym course. In the meantime, they will speak “cars”. The host questions them about the vehicle model that everyone has led in the past. In the afternoon, make way for a slideshow on this theme.

The elders cite European and Japanese brands: Fiat, VW, BMW, Honda and Nissan. They obviously take great pleasure in evoking their youth. Some people say they had a driver’s license and moved to a bicycle or by bus. “It is not a shame not to have a car,” reacts a cyclist.

Observing the scene, Jérémy Legrand explains that the idea is to project himself on afternoon activity, working on memory. “The home is a place of support, the elderly have many skills and a capacity to act, it is a question of highlighting them. Each and everyone benefits from an individualized project which is revised every three or six months. Most come two to three days a week. ”

Trained staff

The accompanying staff is trained in psychogeriatrics, he knows how to capture attention that only lasts half an hour. A large part of the elders who frequent homes have cognitive disorders (around 70%), according to the director general of Pro Senectute, Joël Goldstein. “This is the limit of home support, and the day house also aims to report these disorders in order to coordinate social action to obtain any services.”

The reports are made by the IMAD and the ambulatory center of psychiatry and psychotherapy of the aged (CAPPA). They offer caregivers to blow a little and rely on days households. “The EMS are full and you have to organize the wait,” notes Joël Goldstein. Discharge hospitalization is very expensive to the community. ”

The cost of the five households of Pro Senectute is 52 francs per day, to which is added the transport of 7 francs per journey. Most residents are the benefit of additional services. Many caregivers regret that households only open until 4 p.m.

Joël Goldstein reacts to criticism. “We understand that it can be early, but for beneficiaries this represents a very long day. It is also necessary to count the return time. Some arrive at home at 5.30 p.m., depending on the traffic density. ”

Judith Monfrini is a journalist at the local section. From legal training, she graduated at the journalism and media training center (CFJM) in 2015. She worked for more than ten years for the Mediaone group. (Lake radio, one fm)More info

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