a group housing project for the elderly
Founded by Marie Clerivet and Roland Bugat, two health professionals now retired, the Égrégore association aims to bring together 16 seniors around the purchase of a grouped habitat around Toulouse in order to live there in autonomy until the end of their life.
“Old age is over-medicalized,” laments Marie Clerivet, accompanied by her husband, Roland Bugat. They are currently working on a group purchase project for a large property in which 16 seniors, alone or in pairs, will live independently until the end of their life. Both complement each other as “young old”, aged over 70 years. For more than 20 years, she ran a home help and care service. He, a practicing as an oncologist and professor of medicine at thePaul Sabatier University From toulouse. They share a clear vision: “old age is not a disease”. “However, the elderly are gradually excluded from active life and lose their social rights from the moment they retire. Now is the time to lift a taboo,” says Roland Bugat.
Seniors will own their apartments
To carry out their project, Marie Clerivet and Roland Bugat created an association last February, called “Égrégore”, which means uniting several individuals around the same objective. A name that therefore echoes the spirit of the group of seniors. This consists to live together within a large residence, in which each member of the association is the owner of his own apartment. The transaction will be in the form of a purchase in a civil real estate company.
For the time being, the promoters of the project are still looking for the ideal property. But they already have a very precise idea of what this habitat should be. The total area of the building should approach 1,000 square meters. With the possibility, inside, of create a dozen apartments. These will vary between 60 square meters for single people to 90 square meters for couples. According to estimates by Marie Clerivet and Roland Bugat, the purchase price of each property will amount to 270,000 eurosrenovations and equipment included.
Gym, home cinema, pool…
The goal is also to be able to create several common areas in the building. Like a kitchen and a large living room in which seniors can meet, even if they have all the necessary equipment in their individual homes. Also: a library, a home cinema, a gym or even a swimming pool.
The garden will be collective. “For its development and maintenance, we thought of calling on an integration association, in order to accentuate the intergenerational aspect of the place. For the rest, the management will be done very naturally, everyone can plant flowers as they wish,” explains Marie Clerivet. The objective is for the property to be installed in a calm and natural setting, without being too far from all amenities. “We are looking to buy in a radius of about fifty kilometers around Toulouseto develop this housing project for the elderly and benefit from rapid access to medical structures and hospitals if necessary”, specifies the former socio-sanitary manager.
“I’m not afraid to say it, we want to create a high-end service, in competition with what is offered in nursing homes. Except that here, we will be happy, ”she smiles. Staff will be present on site “not to help us die, but to preserve our autonomy “adds Marie Clerivet. Like a cook to prepare large meals on Sundays, a sports coach who comes twice a week, a housekeeper, a steward, a driver, a psychologist, a socio-esthetician present for two hours every fortnight, etc. , to pay 700 euro fee per month.
Healthy, independent aging
“The services offered in nursing homes or senior residences are not up to what we are looking at. What we want is to decide for ourselves our future”, insists Marie Clerivet. Like her partner, she believes it is entirely possible, even preferable, to age in a healthy and independent way. without having to resort to daily medical assistance. “It’s not because we have a few health problems that we are fragile. What weakens us is isolation, the poor services provided by home care – even if some professionals do their job very well, she insists – or even confinement in nursing homes, which has as much more highlighted by the Covid-19 epidemic, during which elderly people let themselves die of loneliness, ”she regrets.
In this new grouped habitat, it will be nothing. The objective is that retirees look out for each other and call on independent health professionals only when necessary. The costs generated by these services could be included in the expenses, which will increase accordingly. The but is also that the residents continue to powered their social lives, through moments of exchange, mutual aid or meetings with the families of other owners. Moreover, an additional apartment is planned for the reception of the entourage of the inhabitants.
For now, around ten people have already volunteered to take part in the group purchasing project with Marie Clerivet and Roland Bugat. So there are still a few places left. “We are counting on a development within two years”, rejoices the founder of the association. Namely that, like a classic purchase, the families of the owners inherit the property at his death. But the apartment cannot be kept. It will have to be resold to other elderly people co-opted by all the members of the association. And so on.