Factors identify the signs of aging: “A first in France” tested in the Hautes-Pyrénées

“Flag, flower and door”: these are the three words that the postman Fabrice Lafon asks Annick, his “client” of the day, a dynamic retired hairdresser aged 65, to repeat several minutes later, to exercise her memory .

Since the end of October, La Poste has been testing two aging prevention schemes with Promologis, the region's first social enterprise for housing, with 850 seniors from 15 communes in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

“This is a first in France with a social landlord” says Olivier Marsais, media relations and influence manager at the Occitanie regional communications center, who hopes that this experiment will “spread throughout the territory”.

“Are you feeling depressed?”

“Do you have any orientation problems?”, “Do you have a good appetite?” or “are you feeling depressed?” are among others the standard questions asked by the postman to Annick, to evaluate the six vital functions of nutrition, cognition, vision, hearing, psychology and mobility.

They are part of the Icope program supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) which “aims to identify and prevent, as early as possible, the vulnerabilities of seniors to prolong their autonomy”. Another device makes it possible to identify and therefore prevent the risk of falling after the age of 75.

In Annick's case, everything works, or almost. She just admits that her eyesight is declining with age. But at 65, his mobility is still intact. “I walk every day” she says, to reassure her interlocutor, passing with flying colors the test of “getting up and sitting down five times in 14 seconds, crossing your arms on your shoulders”.

“We sometimes play the role of confidant”

Obviously, the postman is not there to replace the doctor or nurse but he can be a trusted person to whom his interlocutor communicates more easily, by passing on the information to caregivers who have medical expertise .

“In general, we are very well received. For certain elderly people or people with disabilities, our daily visit helps break the isolation,” says Fabrice Lafon, who has also experimented with delivering meals at home, particularly in rural areas.

In addition to mail, we sometimes play the role of confidant. We are also here to listen. This device just allows you to go a little further. I think people would be happy to see the postmen more often.”

“It's really good that La Poste and Promologis take care of tenants who are getting a little older. I like my postman but he doesn't have to come back within a year. I'm still doing very well” says Annick, not without revealing a strong character in broad daylight.