Connected seniors

Seniors can enjoy digital solidarity on a daily basis in Issy-les-Moulineaux. Because our elders are stakeholders in the evolution of our society, and in order to keep them connected, the City put in place some reception facilities to train, inform and gather seniors around digital technologies.

Within the Issean office for the Elders (Office Isséen pour les Aînés (OIPA)) seniors can be trained to handle computers, office automation and internet in a comforting environment in the cyber senior centres. They can also use these places to freely surf the internet. Every fortnight, volunteers from the "Internet and New Technologies" commission are lecturing in the multimedia spaces of retirement homes during one and a half hour and answer all users' questions about the Internet. ■

First institution of its kind open to new technologies, the Lasserre Resthome is adapting itself to new technologies. For André Santini, “ It is mainly about hosted seniors not having to carry a double burden: losing their autonomy and being cut away from the outside world.”

Lasserre Resthome: a high-tech retirement home! The institution is using a lot of home automation and modern equipments (TV news channel "Lasserre infos", flat screens connected via IP, video on demand...). Some "internet tea time snacks", Wii competitions, blog writing and short film making are some of the activities that are offered to the residents. These activities are jointly prepared by young people from the city and members of the Communal council for the Elderly (Conseil Communal des Aînés (CCA)).

When seniors become TV anchors... Digital technology life is not meant for young people alone: equipped with a multimedia room, a video production studio and a dedicated cabled network, the institution gives the opportunity for seniors to surf the internet at high speeds and to follow their favourite shows on TV from their own rooms all furnished with a flat screen TV. Internet workshops are offered to keep in touch with families, communicate through emails or video conferencing.

"Lasserre infos": news presented by an explosive duet The institution owns a state of the art video production studio to organise intergenerational cultural activities: concerts, theatre, opera, dance, circus, magic shows and poetry. In partnership with Studec TV, the Television school based in Issy, one child and one elder are presenting together news focusing on Lasserre retirement home's daily life.

A channel for in-house information A channel dedicated to in-house information keeps the residents informed about the daily life of the institution (activities, workshops, menus, etc.), shows documentaries from the city's web TV (Issy.TV), as well as movies and medium-length films directed by Issean youth in particular in the scope of the "Adventure scholarships" programme (Expeditions projects in France or overseas financially supported by the Municipality).■

At Lasserre Resthome seniors and children can meet around various activities: drawing workshops during which children paint the adults ' portraits or vice versa, Wii competitions... So many opportunities can be found to bring them together, and learn about each other.

Video workshop: an example of an intergenerational encounter During five afternoons, children are trained to use a video camera through various exercises (how to take a shot and how to move with the video camera, how to direct a documentary, how to edit a video...) These shootings are made around interviews between a child and a senior. In an intimate and comforting atmosphere,tongues loosen up and memory gates open up …■