Jean-Paul Gauthié is president of France Alzheimer 82, an association with 282 members.
How do you cope with the current situation?
We had to suspend all our interventions and face-to-face workshops. We have maintained the relationship with the families through a hotline, psychological support by phone or video, resumption of certain activities in video. But perceiving the exhaustion of the caregivers, we resumed the reception-listening and the psychological support interviews in our premises. This week, we are relaunching our collective remote workshops and in situ. A 45 m2 room will accommodate the speaker and six people. This will be the case for the adapted gym and three cognitive mobilization workshops in Montauban.
Do you have any plans?
In a department that has more than 5,000 patients, or, with their caregivers, more than 20,000 people concerned, the needs are considerable. The challenge is to better cover the territory as close as possible to its inhabitants. There are still large white areas with little or no local services. The situation will improve in 2021, with new establishments and regular actions outside Montauban: opening of three monthly memory cafes (Valence d’Agen, Castelsarrasin and Moissac) and at least one weekly cognitive mobilization workshop in Valence d ‘ Agen.
What are your wishes?
We wish to rediscover the social bond and the conviviality which are in the DNA of our association. In adversity as in more favorable times, we will be there, committed alongside sick people and their families.
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