Like many French people, the elderly are following the Paris 2024 Games. Live events on television, quizzes, Olympics: retirement homes are taking on the Olympic colours.
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France has been living to the rhythm of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games since the opening ceremony. At work, at home, on the road, franceinfo takes the pulse of those who are experiencing the Games up close or from afar. How are things going in retirement homes? Response from the Lancelot residence (Aésio Santé group), in Privas in Ardèche: the residents are also getting involved in the Games.
In the dining room, the television is tuned all day to the Olympics. Denise, 89, has her eyes glued to the handball match: “I like the Man in effort. I am very chauvinistic, I don’t like it when we lose.”
Just behind, Audette is having her snack, one eye on the screen, from her wheelchair. All these athletes, it makes her dream: “They can express themselves! When you’re stuck in a chair, you can’t do anything, so I put myself in their shoes. I feel that way.”
At 3pm, it’s quiz time. We have to squeeze the chairs together, fifteen residents are participating. Audrey leads the workshop, first exercise: guess the name of different champions, but “in our time”she specifies, “we are far from Colette Besson”. A first face appears, the answer comes quickly: “It’s Marchand ! He is too beautiful.”
The residents have the answer to almost everything. A few weeks ago, they even took part in their own Olympics against other nursing homes; they won silver. Jacqueline is especially interested “in basketball”, because she did “a little bit of it in [sa] youth” and it reminds him “good memories”.
“To date, how many medals has France won?”continues the presenter. “48”Alain answers without thinking, in the front row. He is not the only one who knows everything. On the fourth floor, we find Thérèse, in her room, remote control in hand. Every evening, she tunes in to the Games recap: “I take the show, and they do a summary of the day.” To the point of becoming an expert? “No”she answers humbly, but this year she discovered new sports, like 3×3 basketball: “I didn’t know what it was.”
“That’s also our goal, to encourage them to stay in the news, to experience what’s happening in the present and not always be in the past, in what they’ve experienced.”
Audrey Dufaux, retirement home facilitatorfranceinfo
Watching the Games, doing quizzes, this also allows residents to keep up to date, like everyone else outside and this is important for Audrey Dufaux, the host. On the walls of the retirement home, photos of Teddy Riner, Tony Estanguet and Usain Bolt will remain hanging for a long time.