Heat wave: Maintaining the link with seniors at all costs
2023-08-24 07:00:00
Bonjour Madam, this is Pascale from the social link service at the CCAS of the City of Nice. I’m calling to see if everything is okay. » This phone call will be repeated tirelessly all day and until the end of the heatwave alert. As soon as the temperatures break records, the agents put themselves in battle order with the mission of contacting all the people registered on the register of fragile and isolated people. That is 2,500 calls. And it starts again every 48 hours.
“All CCAS agents participate in the appeal campaign. On a daily basis, this represents around 400 people who, alongside their usual missions, come to lend us a hand.says Lauriane Morelli, head of the senior social link service. A dozen partner associations also help us. Thanks to this device, we can contact each of the registrants. They are aware – they also regularly receive information by SMS and voice messages when heatwave alerts are triggered and lifted – and are not surprised. On the other hand, they are always happy to receive this phone call. Beyond the health aspect, it is also a way of maintaining contact and breaking isolation.
The opportunity to chat a little
The CCAS accompanies the elderly in Nice during this heat wave alert period. Axelle Truquet paperDylan Meiffret / Nice Matin.
“Some are very isolated so they are happy to be able to chat a littlenote Pascale Lossignol and Sandra Porte who are both devoting themselves full-time to this mission at the moment. We feel in them a desire to talk. Even if we have a lot to do, we try to take the time to chat with them when we feel they need to chat. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s very important: it’s good for their morale. They suffer from loneliness. So they often thank us for the call and show appreciation.”
If those registered in the register are familiar with this system, it is also because they know it well. “We contact them throughout the year at least once a month and on their birthday. For some, it’s the only call they receive on that day. We have software in which we note the information concerning them in order to be able to have a personalized exchange”adds Lauriane Morelli.
The person in charge of the service remarks that, ultimately, the elders are well informed. Thanks to information from the CCAS but also through the media. “They generally know what to do during hot weather. We remind them despite everything. On the other hand, even if they say they are used to this climate, they admit that they are suffering. They are very tired and the slightest constraint is very difficult for them. It shows how vulnerable they can be and that you have to be very careful with them.”
Lauriane Morelli, head of the senior social link service of the CCAS came to visit Léontine Beruto yesterday. The agents regularly go to the homes of the registrants to check that all is well.
“Thank you for coming to see me, it made me very happy”
“Oh la la, no I’m not going out, anyway I have difficulty moving around. So right now, with the heat, even less! Léontine Beruto is a Niçoise “born in Saint-Isidore in 1941”. This Wednesday, Lauriane Morelli came to visit him. “It’s always a pleasure to receive people,” rejoices the retiree. And at the moment, it’s nice because I regularly get phone calls from the CCAS. »
In fact, she knows this institution well since she worked there as a housekeeper. “I loved my job because I felt useful. Today I am the one who needs help. »
This resident of Nice Nord lives alone, “well, not quite: there is Candice with me, who is 8 years old. It’s my little cat. As if to prove it, the feline appears at this moment to receive a few caresses. “My son, Philippe comes once a week to bring me the shopping. I don’t cook a lot. You know when you’re alone… I always do the same thing, pasta, polenta, potatoes…”
The company of her little cat
The Nice CCAS visits the elderly during heat wave alert periods. Axelle Truquet paperDylan Meiffret / Nice Matin.
“Thank you for coming to see me, it made me very happy”
Léontine Beruto talks about her family with emotion. And says: “My granddaughter Leslie came to see me last weekend with Ava, my 2-year-old great-granddaughter. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them, you can’t imagine how happy I was. My grandson Alexis is very busy at the moment because he is a cook. “She still sees a few people:” The physio twice a week, the nurse every morning for dressings. They are all very nice. My little neighbor Aline also comes for news from time to time. »
The retiree adapted to the temperatures and installed a fan in her living room. “I’m fine, I’m not too hot. And then my son Philippe bought me one to put in the bedroom at night. The days may be a bit long. “I occupy myself by watching television. I watch animal shows. I love animals, yes. Before Candice, I had a small dog that had been abandoned. It makes company, it’s important. »
An hour has passed and it is time to leave. Léontine Beruto insists: “thank you for coming to see me Lauriane, it feels good to have company. »
Investigations until contact is resumed
Sometimes people on the register do not respond despite repeated calls from agents. In these cases, things do not drag. “We go directly to the home, to see if the person is there. Sometimes she just hadn’t heard the phone, explains Marjorie Bantwell, one of the social service officers. But it’s not always that simple. We implement means for the removal of doubt and we only stop when we have news. For this, we call the family or the referents if we have contact details. We can also contact the pharmacist or the doctor. When we go there, we ask the neighbors. It’s not always easy because you don’t necessarily have the building number, the floor or the access if you don’t answer the intercom. And if the person does not respond at all, we can ask the firefighters to come with us to open the door. So far, everything has always ended well. It just happens that the person left and didn’t think to let us know. »