Saturday, September 21 marks the World Alzheimer’s DayThe disease affects 1,200,000 people in France: one in two French people have someone affected in their circle.
In Dax (Landes), the Landais Alzheimer village offered a tea dance this Friday, September 20, which brought together villagers affected by the disease. This is an innovative reception site for sick peoplebased on a more social than medical approach, which aims to welcome patients in a personalized way and to maintain a close bond with loved ones.
In the middle of the sun-drenched square, Patricia finishes her dance step. “All the bad things are gone,” says the resident for a year and a half. “It’s magic! Life is good!”
“Being able to open this place to the public, first of all it teaches them to know the place and to know the sick people. Explain to them that we can do almost anything with them“, explains Françoise, head of the France Alzheimer association in Landes.
Next to her, Brigitte, a resident of the village for a year, refreshes herself with a large glass of orange juice. “We didn’t choose, but Alzheimer’s chose us,” she says. “We take advantage of this moment to enter a wonderful world. We escape with music too. It’s better than all the medicines“We are here, we are dancing, we are resisting strongly. But we have to hold on,” she says.
Patricia, Brigitte and the 126 villagers of the Alzheimer village will meet next Saturday for the big annual festival of their village.
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