Mauvezin retirement home: getting away from it all!

"By providing a safe and specially equipped vehicle, the organization will be able to help an old gentlemen who has lost a leg but would like to go fishing again. Other examples are taking people back to their favorite spots or letting them visit their family's graves on All Souls' Day. This minibus will help it bring a smile to the faces of people who will never be able to live independently again and alleviate some of their sufferings."
Patricia Ducamin

When they move to a retirement home, old people not only leave their homes but also lose contact with some of the people and places they know. In Mauvezin, a rural village in the Gers département, this feeling is exacerbated by the fact that the retirement home is located in the hospital. Its 62 residents feel very isolated and cut off from the outside world – paradoxical since most of them have always lived in the village or nearby.
The non-profit organization Les rèves bleus set up to address this problem aims to help elderly people retain contact with their previous lives. It has succeeded in forging friendly links between the inhabitants of the village and the residents of the retirement home.

First the daily routine, then… getting away from it all

Today, it is keen to buy a specially equipped minibus with a ramp for very old people who need wheelchairs to get around. The project is supported by a number of local players and the organization has managed to raise 1,000 euros by organizing a bingo night and a village fete.
Initially, the aim was to organize short trips to allow people in the retirement home to stay in contact with the local area and its inhabitants. Going back to the market or the local shops is already a great way to stay in touch with everyday life. But the organization also has more ambitious plans. It hopes that when the fine weather arrives, it will be able to organize excursions to the mountains and maybe even the seaside!