at the Maison de Nicodème in Nantes, the end of life gently

By Sarah Boucault

Published today at 00:57

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“Oh the magpie! In room 8, Renée Queyrel, 93, is delighted to rub shoulders with the birds so closely. With the help of the physiotherapist, the twig lady settles down facing the garden, after seven short steps. “I made it! she says. I like trees and green. Between here and the hospital, it’s day and night. » Here is the House of Nicodemus, a palliative care unit “Luxury” managed by a Catholic association. A stone’s throw from the Jardin des Plantes and the Nantes train station, on former bishopric land, this eighteen-bed structure opened on April 4.

In the House of Nicodemus, the pain is relieved and the soul is cared for, as in an ordinary palliative care unit. The average lifespan is no longer there than in a university hospital: seventeen days. What changes is the box. Like all residents, each evening, through the bay window of her room, Renée Queyrel admires the sunset over the vegetable garden. In the corridors, tears rub shoulders with whispers, but the sanitized smell of the hospital has no place. Fleshy and faded roses are placed here and there. They come from the gardens of volunteers, more numerous than at the hospital, who, on a daily basis, keep the patients company.

Like at home

The places are financed thanks to 9.5 million euros of funds from family foundations, companies, individuals and loans. Health insurance is responsible for the annual operating budget, up to 3.3 million euros for 300 stays.

Here, everything is thought out ” like at home “, state-of-the-art technology as well: multifunction screen at the end of a removable arm, patient lift rail hanging from the ceiling, sliding poster hiding the oxygen connections. Simone, 74, has been supporting her husband in illness for two years: “On the day of arrival, to make it easier, we offered to bring him closer to us, 50 kilometers from here. He replied immediately, “No, I want to stay with you.” Here, it’s 5 or 6 star comfort and much more family friendly than the hospital. »

The recognition of families contrasts with the reserve of caregivers, still in the run-in and focused on their tasks. “Working with something new changes everything, notes Géraldine Fontaine, hospital service agent. Here, everything is ergonomic. Not to mention the attractive salary: I go from 1,350 euros in a private clinic to 1,700 euros net. » The staff knows that they are expected at the turn, in a very sensitive political context.

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