Between the house and the Ehpad, shared habitats for seniors

In this type of accommodation, seniors "who no longer want or can no longer stay at home", without however wishing to join a retirement home, sign a classic rental lease.

They have a single room, but also living rooms shared with their roommates, where a professional takes care of the shopping or the preparation of meals.

"I did not feel ripe to go to a retirement home", testifies Marie-Thérèse Castillon, 89, who lives with six roommates in accommodation of this type in the Bordeaux suburbs, in Pessac. Here, "we know everyone", observes his neighbor Jeanne Choy, 94, who left an Ehpad to settle in this small structure managed by the private company Domani.

The tenants, who each have their own bedroom and bathroom, meet for meals or leisure in a large shared kitchen/dining room. "What would you like for the menu next week? Melons, anyone?" asks Laura Pouchat, a student who manages daily life alongside the household coordinator.

In the evenings and on weekends, a home help provider takes over. And students, housed on the floor above, receive 250 euros per month to be available at night in case residents activate their call for help button.

Reduce the "tearing out feeling"

The objective is that seniors "who can no longer live at home" have the "weakest possible feeling of wrenching", all for a rent approximately 20% lower than the cost of an Ehpad, or "1.500 to 1.600 euros, aid deducted", explains Jean de Miramon, one of the co-founders of Domani.

And the demand is there: even before the opening of this residence of seven places, more than 200 families had expressed their interest.

Across France, a total of 100.000 seniors should be able to benefit from such housing by 2030, recommended the authors of a report submitted to the government in 2020.

For now, however, less than 5.000 people live in habitats of this type, says a group recently created by fifteen private operators.

According to these companies, the "inertia" of the administration complicates the progress of projects. Sometimes, the promoter is thus refused the approval which would allow him to pay himself the home helpers intervening in an individual capacity with the elderly - for example for the help with the toilet.

"in a gray area"

"The problem is that we are a bit in a gray area: we don't know where to put ourselves!", sighs Laurence Boluda, general manager of the "Maison de Blandine", which creates shared habitats from 5 to 25 apartments.

"There is a political will displayed but it must follow from the regulatory point of view", adds Maxence Petit, whose company Cosima has opened a "shared home" in Lourdes (Hautes-Pyrénées) and is planning three others near Marseille. and in the suburbs of Paris.

The legislation, however, has precisely evolved: since last year, residents can theoretically receive, without means test, a "shared living aid" (AVP) intended to finance the common services for the inhabitants of the shared accommodation, such as the salary of the "mistress of the house".

"In principle, it's great, but in reality, nothing is clear: from one department to another, we don't get the same answer", underlines Simon Vouillot, co-founder of "Age and life" in Besançon.

For the time being, in fact, only about thirty departmental councils have signed an agreement with the State to set up this aid - financed by the departments up to 20% -, explains to AFP Stéphane Corbin, deputy director the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA). But, according to him, about sixty other departments should join them this year.