At a time when nursing homes are increasingly criticized, many families are looking for an alternative for their loved ones who are losing their autonomy. Especially in rural areas, the beguinage is a solution that attracts more and more followers with a modest income.
The concept is as old as the world. “The beguinages developed from the XIIIe century in Northern Europe, the State information portal for the elderly and their relatives† They designated a grouping of individual homes and communal buildings within a confined space. Religious communities of women, the beguines, lived there.” The latter lived in a community that shared certain services, while staying in individual apartments.
The revival of a vanished model
“Today there are several thousand beguinages in Belgium or Germany. But in France they have almost disappeared,” admits . at Le Figaro real estate Paul de Rochebouët, president of the Esprit Begijnhof association and manager of the real estate company that provides the financial package for various projects in France.
In recent years, this concept has been redeveloped to meet the needs of the elderly. “Beguinages consist on average of 10 to 20 single-storey private residences, designed for older people with mobility problems“, describes the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA)†
An economic concept with a “friendly and safe” framework
The State Portal also describes the elements that help provide these beguinages with a “safe and friendly” environment: “presence of shops, immediate proximity to neighbors, housing adapted to the loss of economy, sharing of common areas and services .”
In its report devoted to this subject, Le Figaro immobilier also underlines the economic attractiveness of beguinages. “The dwellings of a surface between 45 and 65 m², are rented between 320 and 500 euros per month, promotes the specialized media. In addition, a monthly contribution from the coordinator, an employee whose vocation is to coordinate the life of the place and ensure that the residents are healthy, from 120 to 150 € per accommodation.
A model adapted to the countryside
To finance these amounts, older people can benefit housing assistance like the personalized autonomy allowance†
Available everywhere, especially the model of the beguinage is located In a rural setting, where many elderly people want to live, far from nursing homes and other specialized institutions. Do you want to know if there is a beguinage for the elderly in your area, local information points are available†
