Growing old happily at home

The Legrand Foundation's partners:

FACE Limousin, Limoges City Hall

The Legrand Foundation wants to make social housing authorities aware of the issues surrounding loss of independence. The purpose is, on the one hand, to help them identify ways in which dwellings can be adapted, and on the other hand to guide them in explaining the benefits of these adaptations to the tenants concerned. To do this, it plans to set up a Consumer Service Desk (Point de Services aux Particuliers, PSP) with the help of FACE. This would provide a point of contact between the social housing authorities and tenants. This structure would include:

• The creation of a show apartment located on a social housing estate, which would be equipped with assisted living solutions. These devices could be, for example, lighting paths, emergency lighting, technical sensors, access control and remote assistance systems.

• Training mediators in assisted living solutions.

• The mediators provide an interface between the tenant and the social housing authority, identify needs, and suggest the most appropriate solutions. They also show tenants around the show apartment and inform them about the options on offer.

The "Growing old happily at home" project was initially launched in Limoges, and is due to be replicated in other cities, with other social housing authorities. The aim is to duplicate this exchange model between the social housing authority and the tenant. Apartments will shortly be equipped in both Calais and Strasbourg.

I believe that the Legrand Foundation's actions also have a public service mission. Public low-cost housing offices are increasingly dealing with ageing tenants wishing to stay in their own homes at all costs. The problem is that they are very often financially insecure...

Statement from Nathalie Lacombe - Legrand Foundation