- To break the isolation of Ehpad residents, 10 cousins had the idea of a platform allowing everyone to send a letter to an isolated elderly person.
- The initiative passed in a few days from the project to reality and 2500 letters could be sent.
- For the organizers of these establishments where most of the activities have been suspended, the initiative is particularly important.
At the Raymond Poulin nursing home in Loiret, a 200-page PDF file arrived a few days ago. 200 pages for as many letters, written on the 1 letter, 1 smile platform by young and old wishing to write to dependent elderly people. Their words of comfort and support are addressed to strangers who will read them alone in their room, confined far from everything. Like the residents of this Loiret center, residents of 9 other nursing homes in France received these letters. And the initiative is snowballing. 2,500 letters have already been sent.
Behind this operation, no brand or large group but a family, gathered at the table shortly before confinement. Ten cousins, aged 13 to 24, who decided "to send a little love with words to those who need it most," says Blanche Duron, one of the initiators, a student at the Ecole Polytechnique from Lausanne. “My sister was with cousins and my uncle joined them. He works for Ehpad. He told them that confinement was going to be particularly difficult, that if nothing was done, it was not from the virus that they would die, but from being alone. "
First, get started
Other cousins, scattered in Europe, join the project. Each member of the family gets their idea, but very quickly the desire to create a writing platform dominates. “It had to be simple for users and that we could get started as quickly as possible. No one really has the skills to code the platform, but never mind, the cousins are launching the first version with existing online models that they are adapting.
“When you have an idea, you have to get started. Technical skills will come next, said Blanche today. A lot of people have contacted us since the launch to provide us with financial, technical or contact assistance. Like the association Tous au Web, which is working free of charge today on a new version of the platform.
A letter, a resident
The letters start to arrive. It remains to find Ehpad interested in the process. “The most important thing was to identify people who have time in the establishments so as not to take it from those who have already run out. We were looking for animators, psychologists ... ”, lists Blanche Duron.
At Raymond-Poulin, Rachel Pichot-Duclos is in charge of activities and social life. When her manager tells her about the 1 letter 1 smile initiative, she immediately signs up, contacts 1 letter, 1 smile and receives a first shipment. “For my 120 residents, I received a file of 200 letters, 100 for women, 100 for men. I read them and I sorted them, so that each letter is well suited to the person who will receive it. »Printed in large adapted characters (1 letter 1 smile offers Ehpad to reimburse the cartridges necessary for printing thanks to the donations received by the structure), they are distributed in each room. “I am teleworking this week but a person in civic service took over for the delivery of the folds. The feedback has been excellent. I even had a resident who asked for an address to respond. She wanted to correspond, this letter made her want to write again. "
Rachel Pichot-Duclos is already waiting for the next shipment, especially since its residents no longer leave their rooms. "We really need to encourage people to write," she tells us before hanging up. There are 600,000 Ehpad residents on the territory. It is important to think of them. "And write to them
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- Society
- Ehpad
- Solidarity
- The elderly