Public Project
Living to Leave
Life in elderly homes is often a sad and brutal reality. It’s difficult for many of us to imagine ourselves in a situation where death is not that far away.
I spent almost one-week visiting Enclos Saint Cesair, a catholic elderly home in Arles, every day. As in most retreat houses, loneliness and emptiness are impregnated in the ambience. Silence is present during many hours of the day, as many of those suffering from Alzheimer's have difficulties maintaining conversation. Many life stories are kept under this silence, making a lively presence very distressful.
In an elderly home, having a haircut can be an event, such as having lunch or feeding the birds. Passing time matters, as the time of life is suddenly so short that any extended project has no reason to be.
This is the reality for many families and older people and an issue that needs more awareness. The ageing of the world population is increasing very fast, affecting almost all countries and implicating significant political and social challenges. According to the UNFPA Ageing Report (October 2012) by 2050, 33 countries are expected to have 10 million people aged 60 or over, including five countries with more than 50 million older people.
Attentive social regard for the human condition at older ages is important to develop the right precautions in health systems and changes in economic directions.
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