Labastide-Rouairoux: “When you become a caregiver, you take life”

It was with a touch of humor that Jacques spoke about his career as a caregiver, Tuesday November 12, at the EHPAD in Labastide-Rouairoux.

How from husband, we become “caregiver”, “family caregiver”, “loving relative”: so many terms to characterize the support of a loved one.

We become a “helper” when we provide “regular and frequent help in a non-professional capacity for the actions of daily life”.

A peasant with multiple commitments, passionate about the Occitan language, the Saint-Amantais became the caregiver of his wife, Brigitte.

Little by little, the retiree’s life was organized around that of his wife. The relationship with his wife has changed.

Jacques knew how to find the words telling about the relationships with the body which change, the daily life, the necessary adaptation, the support that we expect from some and which does not come, the consequences on family life, of known, how the other becomes this unknown outside of domestic landmarks…

A poignant testimony from a man confronted with this existential ordeal.

In Tarn, there are 6,000 caregivers identified by the Department. In the valley, there are 111. How many caregivers are unaware of each other? How many caregivers do not exercise their rights? How many isolated caregivers?

It is to lift this veil on all these caregivers that the users’ committee of the multidisciplinary health center of the upper Thoré valley, the Thoré Montagne Noire Community of Communes, organized this conference in conjunction with the Ethical Reflection Space Occitanie, the Departmental House of Autonomy, the EHPAD of Labastide-Rouairoux and the Escale respite stop, which welcomed a carer during the conference.