Josette would never have come to a nursing home without Oscar, her little dog

A joint committee is discussing this Tuesday the possibility for elderly people to enter retirement homes with their pets. A Norman nursing home did not wait to do so.

Heartbreaking. When elderly people enter a nursing home, they must separate, in the vast majority of cases, from their pets. Establishments are now free to accept or not, but the government wants to make it a right for seniors. Approved by the deputies, rebutted by the senators, the text is discussed Tuesday March 12 in the joint committee. A measure already effective in certain establishments, such as in a nursing home in Maromme, near Rouen.

The village of Aubépins is home to several animals, including Oscar, Josette’s little dog, who most often stays in his mistress’s room. Fortunately, three times a day the little fur ball, barely six years old, can still walk around the establishment’s courtyard.

“I take off the leash and Oscar does his turn. It allows me to get some fresh air.”

Josette, resident in nursing home

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Josette arrived just a week ago, but her little dog is already a star. “The old people are crazy about Oscar, because he waddles up to them to get caresses”, says the resident. Without him, she would never have come to this nursing home, “It’s not possible to part with him, I love him too much, he’s my companion”she says with a burst of laughter.

Advantages and constraints

There are certain rules to respect, Josette must pick up her dog’s droppings because Oscar must not leave any traces, she must also feed him. Animals in a retirement home have many advantages, explains a nurse from the Edpad, because in addition to creating these habits, their presence helps to work on the memory of the owner and other residents. They also help Hélène Bellet in her work as a caregiver, “when there is sadness, difficulty in approaching a discussion, we can divert the discussion to the animal and improve care for certain things.”

There are also some constraints, “veterinary follow-up is necessary. Is the person capable of taking care of it? Who will take care of the litter box if it is a cat? Food?” lists director Marie Pascale Mongaux-Masse. She therefore speaks beforehand with all the future residents. She knows that this measure will be difficult to apply: “We are in crisis all the time. When we are in a context of permanent tension, it is still complex, because we will have to manage the right of a person to come with their animal and then the rights of others to tranquility, to collective hygiene”, explains the one who is also vice-president of the Association of Directors of Services for the Elderly. Pascale Mongaux-Masse therefore expects concrete measures, in particular with the programming law on autonomy.