Her quavering voice contrasts with her confident tone. “You have to deal with it and that's it. Despite his 84 years, Gérard, a resident in a nursing home (accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people), accepts these new rules of life with philosophy. "It's like that," he repeats at a time when France is stepping up drastic measures to protect the elderly and frail from the coronavirus. The list of instructions is already long. Discouraged trips, limited head-to-head with relatives, proscribed hugs ... But the government went this Wednesday, even further, by putting "all Ehpad and long-term care units" under cover!
All visits are now prohibited. And "strongly discouraged" in "independent residences", formerly known as residential homes. An exceptional decision. "Of course, this is a strong measure, we have never experienced such a situation," exclaims Christine Meyer-Meuret, in charge of the Health Mission at the National Federation of Retirement Associations. But they must be protected, especially since there is no treatment against the coronavirus. "
Our seniors are the most likely to develop serious forms. Of course, not everyone dies. But faced with the threat, the watchword is to adapt. The leaders of the Ehpad, already prepared, are hardly surprised by this measure. “We expected that,” says Christine Morel, medical director of the Omeris network, which manages 16 retirement homes. We are warning all the families. Some, worried, were already blowing us to stop the visits. "
Directors had made this choice in establishments close to the foci of the coronavirus. This was the case at the Léman residence in Thonon-les-Bains, a good hour's drive from La Balme-de-Sillingy (Haute-Savoie), which groups together several cases. A week ago, the director Patricia Duperret took care to pass in all the rooms to announce the news.
The funny tips of families to communicate with their loved ones
"I explained to them that we were doing this to protect them, that we wanted to take care of them," she explains, in a calm voice. If most have understood and that "morale is good", relatives use tricks to show their affection. "The families go to the reception, we open the window for them and they give us cupcakes, linen, soap," smiles the director.
Inside the nursing homes, activities are also reduced. Outside speakers - dancers, musicians, speakers - have orders not to return. The salaried staff then compensates with other activities. "Fortunately, we also have other means of communication like Skype," says the director. Technology is everywhere to back up.
But aren't our seniors going to feel even more alone? This Tuesday evening, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said he was "aware of the weight that this represents for the elderly". Professionals agree. “It's complicated, loose Christine Morel, director of the Omeris network. We will decide on a case by case basis. If a resident, especially if he is at the end of his life, claims a relative, he will be allowed to return. "
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As for home help, it is impossible to give up daily care: household help, getting up, getting up and going to the toilet ... Only hygiene measures are reinforced. And the presence of these employees, bulwark against loneliness, connects them to the outside world. But for psychiatrist Michel Lejoyeux, a distinction must be made between "objective solitude" and "feeling of isolation": "The fact that they are protected from a situation of danger proves to them that they exist and that we take care of them." 'them and fortunately. To compensate for the physical absence, the psychiatrist urges us to rediscover other means of communication: "Take your fountain pens, your correspondence blocks and write letters to them." "