the essential
A Tom & Josette intergenerational micro-crèche opened this summer in the Montaudran district of Toulouse. The children participate in activities with residents of the nearby retirement home.
The installation of the Tom & Josette intergenerational micro-crèche in the Montaudran district allows 12 children from 3 months to 3 years old to participate in activities with the elderly from the neighboring retirement home. This crèche, open since this summer, is a first in Haute-Garonne and the twelfth in France for the Tom & Josette network.
It is located next to the recently renovated Henri IV medical residence, Domus Vi, a private nursing home chain, and allows several generations to meet. A second should see the light of day in Cépet, in the north of the department.
Tom, the child, and Josette, the nursing home resident, share daily activities such as baking, gardening, modeling, reading. “There is life, there is joy in this innovative living space,” says Pauline Faivre, the co-founder, at the initiative of the concept which launched this project in 2019 by transforming the usual places of retreat into a real family home open to the life of their neighborhood. With these meetings, there is a real resurgence of youth among the residents of the establishment.
“We want to create connections”
“The most beautiful thing is when we can see in the eyes of the residents that they are happy to see these young people,” says Whitley Jos, who runs the crèche with her three facilitators, Christelle, Laurie and Marion. convinced of the educational scope of the project. “We want to create links,” they say in unison.
“Seeing the look of an elderly person in the senior residence who lights up when a child from the nursery comes to see her is priceless, especially for the residents who never receive a visit,” confides Philippe Bourrat , the director of the nursing home. The establishment was inaugurated this Friday in the presence of Jean-Luc Moudenc and numerous elected officials.
The mayor of Toulouse underlined the common vision of Domus Vi and Tom & Josette on the need for links between generations, as well as the importance of providing seniors with sufficient nursing home provision, in a region with an aging population. In 2040, there will be 40 elderly people for every 10 young people and 30% of them will be over 65 years old.
