Although the idea seems absurd, there is indeed a drinking establishment in the retirement home of Abbeville, in the Somme. During the day, the caregiver turns into a bartender. The goal is to get residents down from their rooms.
It’s a bistro almost like the others, housed within the walls of an Ehpad in Abbeville (Somme). The beer here is alcohol-free, but still appeals to residents. “Now, since there, everyone lives again”, said one of them. Behind the bar, we find Cédric, a converted caregiver. “It also reminds them of the times when they went to pubs. (…) It’s less impersonal than an extra can”, explains the latter. This bar tries to recreate the link between residents and wants to be accessible.
Profits are used to finance activities
The drinks are at cost price and the profits are used for activities. “This exchange of money around the drink is something that residents do not have from the moment they enter an institution. It gives the opportunity to exchange money for drinks, which is also a social bond”, argues Laurent Douchin, health executive in psychiatry. The smile is shared by all the bar regulars, after just a few cocktails.
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