Since 2020, the city of Angers has deployed a system to support isolated seniors. Between identification, personalized support and adapted activities, this plan mobilizes professionals, volunteers and citizens to maintain social ties.
Cap Seniors et Aidants supports elderly people living alone. – © Fotolia
In Angers, the isolation of elderly people has been the subject of particular attention since the health crisis of 2020. The City, in conjunction with the Municipal Center for Social Action (CCAS), has set up a system aimed at identify and support seniors living alone.
Identifying the “invisibles”
Around 12,000 Angers aged over 60 live alone in Angers: “ The municipal register, designed to identify isolated people in the event of an emergency, only has 200 names. », deplores Christelle Lardeux Coiffard, deputy mayor in charge of Solidarity.
Faced with this observation, the City has brought its one-stop shop, Cap Seniors et Aidants, back to the forefront, to centralize requests and direct the people concerned to suitable services.
This system, launched in 2020, offers, among other things, “ meal delivery services, currently used by 400 beneficiaries, regular telephone calls to maintain social ties, with around 1,000 monthly calls, as well as cultural, sporting or leisure activities », Describes the assistant in charge of Solidarity.
Cap Seniors et Aidants can be reached via a single number (02 41 05 49 05) and mobilizes 60 CCAS professionals, as well as a network of 50 partner structures.
One of the priorities of the system is also to identify so-called “invisible” seniors, that is to say those who “ do not seek any assistance and remain outside of existing systems “. To do this, the City has implemented local actions, such as scouting operations in markets or door-to-door visits, carried out by trained teams.
“This identification aims to establish contact with isolated people to inform them of existing solutions and allow them to access appropriate support. When you no longer have family, when you no longer receive visitors, who cares about you? », questions Christelle Lardeux-Coiffard.
Activities to strengthen social bonds
In 2024, the program offered around 130 activities each month in different areas of the city, almost half of which were free. These events, accessible to people with reduced mobility, welcomed more than 4,000 participants for a total of 38,000 participations. Among the activities, workshops, cultural outings and moments of conviviality are offered.
For the year 2025, the City also plans to strengthen its action: “ We wish to focus on the areas of health, with particular attention to hearing, vision, psychological well-being and nutrition. », Explains the assistant.
The range of activities will also be expanded in certain less covered districts, such as Belle-Beille, Hauts-de-Saint-Aubin and Lac de Maine.
By Eline Vion.
Follow all the news from Angers on the Angers Villactu WhatsApp channel.
