Beyond the progress of works construction, the project carried by the Landes Department Council has entered its recruitment phase.
As a unique experimentation in France, the Village Landais Alzheimer intends to improve the quality of life and well-being of the patients and their carers, by a non-medicinal approach and a philosophy of accompaniment centered on the person, in order to preserve the residents’ cognitive and practical capacities.
Supervision will be assumed by a team of 120 professionals, mainly health personnel (doctors, nurses, elderly care assistants, psychologist, occupational therapist, psychomotor therapist ...), a dozen of administrative staff (management, accountant...) and some others in charge of restoration and maintenance.
Proof of the interest for the project: 700 spontaneous job applications have been received by the departmental services.
One professional per resident
The rate of supervision will be pushed to one professional per patient, when the national average is 0.56 in the public retirement homes (0.67 in the Landes). Evidence of the interest in this innovative project: already 700 spontaneous job applications have been received by the departmental services while recruitment is launched this spring. "The call for applications is just starting, we want to recruit some executives before the summer, other staff will be hired in the fall," says Vincent Galibert, future director of the Public Interest Group Village Landais Alzheimer
Social and geographical diversity
Several criterias will be balanced: the competence of course, the gender in order to have men on care professions, ages to have both youth and experienced people, and a geographical diversity. The project manager wishes to reassure on the "unfounded fear" to see staffs of several local retirement homes leave to work for the Village. An advanced knowledge of the disease will not be needed to apply as a training plan will also be provided for all those recruited.
Another fear is sometimes voiced: that volunteers will be used to replace professionals. "This is unfounded because the separation will be very strong between what is the care by the health staff and what is the animation by the volunteers -even when they have a past in the medico-social sector-. We will be extremely vigilant, everyone will stay at their own place" says Galibert.
Volunteers, essential pillar
However, volunteers will be a key pillar of the project because by bringing local life to the heart of the Village, they will actively participate in therapeutic innovation. Since the first meeting of December 1, 2016, to which more than 200 volunteers had responded, many -associations, institutions or individuals- are involved. More than sixty volunteers have already participated in awareness days to learn how to act well with patients, such as Audrey Dejean of a visiting dogs association who witnessed her grandmother’s sickness: "I see the happiness that animals can bring without therapy. Just by the animals being there, people speak more easily and open up, that's why we are happy to intervene".
Weekly presence, half-day every 15 days, an hour every so often in a mutual commitment ... "All the support methods are possible, the interventions will be very flexible depending on the people and their availability", explains Florence Laudouar of the MLPH, in charge of the volunteers. The animation project, in partnership with local associations (sports, choir...), will be built this autumn. All ideas will be welcome!
