A British pensioner who moved to France 20 years ago has hailed sheltered housing as a good solution for people who “do not want to surrender their independence”.
David Barlow, 86, moved into a flat in a complex called Coloc55 less than a year ago. Based in the village of La Mothe-Saint-Héray in Deux-Sèvres, it offers accommodation for older people in private independent units with some shared facilities and a warden.
Mr Barlow, a retired BBC employee, had previously been living independently in a family home in France.
“My wife died seven years ago and I decided last year that I could no longer remain alone in my house,” he explained.
“Given increasing immobility, getting around the house was more and more difficult and I was also far from sure that it was wise to continue driving.”
Read more: A guide to retirement homes in France
Support yet independence
Although the rest of his family are in the UK, Mr Barlow said the prospect of going back there and starting so many things all over again, particularly healthcare, did not appeal.
“But it seemed too early for a care home of the traditional kind,” he said. “I wanted a solution that gave me as much independence as possible yet with the support I knew I would need.”
A close friend suggested he consider a shared living community, known as a colocation or habitat partagé pour séniors, which are becoming increasingly popular among over-65s in France.
“I’d not heard about them before, but they are not unlike sheltered accommodation in the UK,” said Mr Barlow.
“So, I went to visit one nearby, newly opened, liked what I saw and here I am 11 months later, happily settled in a smallish flat in a colocation in the middle of a small village.
Latest statistics
According to French statistics agency Insee, around 20% of 65-year-olds live alone at home, rising to 40% of people aged 78 and 55% aged 85.
This increase is mostly due to the death of partners, with many widows preferring to live alone than go into a traditional care home.
That is where habitats partagés pour séniors come in. For between around €650 and €1,500 a month, people over 65 can get a room or a private flat in a dedicated building or country house.
It is difficult to find an exact estimate of how many such complexes exist in France, but they are located all over the country. An initiative was recently launched aiming to host 150,000 people in cohabitation by 2030.
Mr Barlow said the owners of his complex are aiming to create “a village within a village with a lot of interaction between the people here and the wider local community”.
There are currently just under 30 residents, which will eventually rise to 50.
“This is a new development and over the course of the past nine months much has happened – new amenities added, more flats created. It is still to some extent a work in progress,” he said.
He called his flat, which consists of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and lounge, “small but perfectly adequate”. “I can see as many or as few people as I want.”
“My monthly rent covers all the utilities – water, heating, electricity, insurance and so forth. By UK standards, it is very reasonable.
“And to cap it all, among the amenities is a restaurant open to those of us within the colocation, as well as to people from the village. The food is good and inexpensive. It makes for good interaction. And it is open seven days a week.”
Mr Barlow is wheelchair-bound but has a friend who takes him to restaurants and to do his shopping.
“And I can get around within the building very easily by myself,” he said. “So despite my limitations, I have reasonable independence and some mobility.
There is also a 24-hour warden in case of accidents and a nursing team from the nearby village to do blood tests, etc.
“Each month a hairdresser visits,” Mr Barlow added, “and we are close to shops, chemists and a bar.”
Read more: Explained: home help options for the elderly in France
French is best
In terms of language skills, Mr Barlow thinks anyone considering a move to sheltered housing in this country should have a “reasonable grounding in French”.
However, he conceded: “There are people here who speak English, the friendly and efficient administrative team among them.”
He added: “I think there may well be a large number of expatriates either on their own or in couples who will reach the age when running a house is frankly just too much, but who do not want to surrender their independence and are not yet ready for the traditional care home.
“Like me, they may not have heard about a colocation; in which case I urge people to have a look at the options.
“I am happy to live in a mainly French-speaking community. For me, although I miss my house, being here maintains as much independence as I’m capable of managing within a warm, welcoming community.”
