Loane Nader 12:14pm, April 06, 2023

TikTok has made many stars and most of them are obviously young people and teenagers. But since February, the residents of a nursing home in Bourges have proven that they too have their place on the social network, and stage themselves as well in playbacks of classics of the French variety, as the latest fashionable rap songs.

Imagine your grandparents doing the latest trending choreography on TikTok. This may be your case if they are residents of the Ehpad de Taillegrain in Bourges, where they are becoming real stars of the social network. Since February, these seniors have been staging themselves in completely offbeat videos, where they indulge in parodies of songs that have marked their lives, but also those of the younger generations.

The band of residents did not improvise themselves as influencers for nothing, since their videos are a hit and already gather more than 6 million views! But what can they do in these few seconds of recordings to generate so much excitement? Lucette, Annick and all the other residents play back on a song they like, all on a completely crazy choreography and with some small accessories, to add a touch of humor to their sequences.

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Playbacks by Celine Dion and Naps

And the seniors of Taillegrain make us love listening to the classics of French variety, such as Joe Dassin's Les Champs-Élysées. Seniors also have fun covering soundtracks from cult films, such as our Rose and Jack de Bourges, which we see dancing together tenderly to My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, the famous anthem of Titanic. The two lovebirds are certainly older than the fictional couple, but the scene is no less touching than the film.

@ehpad_de_taillegrain the Ehpad Taillegrain is not ready to capsize! ⛴️ #bourges#taillegrain#titanic#love#film#jack#rose#personagee#emotion#residents#pourtoi#ehpad♬ original sound - EHPAD Taillegrain de Bourges

But titles a little more surprising also find their place on the TikTok account @ephad_de_taillegrain, such as that of Naps, La kiffance. " I had the idea of the project, because I really wanted to make animations that are a little out of the ordinary, that could please the residents, and show them what networks are today, "explains Chloé at the microphone of Europe 1, one of the two caregivers at the origin of this TikTok workshop. "They were a little reluctant at first because inevitably, it's all new to them."

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Stimulate imagination and cognitive functions

"Now, with the positive effect that there has been on TikTok, many residents want to integrate the project with us," says the Berruyère caregiver. And as she also explains, the idea came to her from the striking resemblance of two residents to singers Diam's and Vitaa, resulting in a parody of their famous musical duo, Confessions nocturnes.

@ehpad_de_taillegrain At the nursing home we go back to the 2000s. #goodmood#grainsize#hospital#drole#ehpad#humor#personagee#residents#pourtoi♬ original sound - TESS THE IGGY

Chloé also praises the benefits they have on her patients. "It's not just an animation like that, it serves to stimulate the residents' imagination, creativity, cognitive functions and physical coordination," she says before continuing, "It also allows families to discover their loved ones in a different light. A lot of grandkids come up to their grandparents and say, 'That's so funny grandma, I saw you on TikTok!'"