this Landes village has become an ideal world for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers

Opened in 2020 in Dax, the Alzheimer’s village was designed to offer as much freedom as possible to patients, who are supported on a daily basis by caregivers and volunteers. No constraints, no barriers, no stress, as little medication as possible… Unexpected relief for caregivers.

“For me, since my mother is here, it’s day and night, confides Florence Guenier. I am extremely reassured, I no longer have this worry of knowing how she will spend the night. Everything has changed in fact, for her as for me“. Simone, his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, has lived for four years in a village where everything has been designed to adapt to her illness.

“There was no longer any coherence in what she was doing, there were a lot of stupid things, escapes, little incidents. She would forget to hang up the phone, for example, and we could no longer reach her. She went to the wrong house sometimes, she went to the neighbors. It was very difficult, admits this fifty-year-old who had to accompany her mother for four years before her admission to Dax. I often came to see her, but each time, I noticed new things… We leave her health there, physical and moral”

“Here, we let everyone live their life“, that’s the whole objective of the Alzheimer village explains its architect, Nathalie Grégoire.

Residents are free to come and go as they wish. “Traffic is fluid, you can follow the paths in any direction. At some point, we will inevitably be taken to a neighborhood or to the central square and come across a caregiver or a volunteer who will redirect if necessary.“.

The site was designed to offer patients as much freedom as possible. The reception capacity is one hundred and twenty residents, distributed in sixteen houses. There are also one hundred and twenty caregivers, none of whom wear white coats, and one hundred and twenty volunteers. Or two companions per villager. An ideal world. “We live to the rhythm of the residents, we have time to listen to them, communicate or just sit down and have a coffee with them” testifies Cynthia Blanc, mistress of the house.

When I go home at night and ask myself if I was a good caregiver, if I did my job well, the answer is often yes.

Cynthia

Caregiver at the Alzheimer village

Every morning, Cynthia accompanies one of her protégés to the grocery store. Then cook with those who wish, before sitting down with the whole household. “We eat with the….the ladies, what do they say? the mistresses of the house” indicates Patricia, one of the residents, who sometimes struggles for words.

It’s nice, it feels like home. Like before.

Patricia

A boarder

A former saleswoman, she has difficulty accepting her fate, memory loss, disorientation, deep anxiety, but also language problems. “There are times when I can’t speak. It’s terrible for me who likes to talk. There are times when it’s good and…“. She interrupts herself. “There, see, I have things in my head, but I can’t say the words”.

To slow down as much as possible the progression of this neurodegenerative disease, which no medication can cure, the village has opted for treatment through activity, whether manual, cultural or sporting. Latest proposal to date, swimming pool sessions, at the Dax thermal baths.

Brigitte Augain never misses a session of ping-pong, a sport recognized as particularly beneficial to people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. “I could do it every day. Afterwards, I’m fine. I’m even rested.”

This sport grabbed me, it said to me, I’m going to help you, and I accepted.

Brigitte Augain

Alzheimer’s patient

Sport allows him to maintain his motor skills, but also to interact with his partners. “The people here communicate with each other, use humor, find phrases they no longer used to say, they pay attention to others. And there is the competitive side that comes back for some!”explains Lise Baussin, occupational therapist in the village.

Others attend singing workshops where they hum well-known tunes, or opt for board games. Marie-Christiane Engrand likes to play scrabble against Yves, her best friend in the village.

“Sometimes I wonder why I’m here. But if I’m here, it’s because there’s something” she smiles. We then ask her, why are you here? “Well, I don’t know!“Making people forget about the illness is perhaps where the village has succeeded in its challenge. The waiting list to enter has nearly two hundred and fifty candidates.

Patricia, for her part, was treated to a socio-aesthetic session today. She is very nicely made up and is going, at the end of the day, to join the neighbors of her “neighborhood” on the terrace.

The music is cranked up loud. From Claude François, “it was the year! …62!“. Patricia wants to dance, so she dances…