Culture comes home for isolated people
The City of La Garde launches a book and media delivery service to combat isolation among seniors.
Culture no longer waits at the media library door; it now comes to knock on the doors of the most vulnerable residents. The City launched a home cultural delivery service on September 25.
This initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Centre Communal d’Action Sociale (CCAS), aims to make books, films, and music accessible to people who can no longer travel, whether due to age, disability, or convalescence.
To mark the deployment of this system, Mayor Hélène Arnaud-Bill visited the home of one of the first beneficiaries. This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the relevance and proper functioning of this service, which combines social connection and access to knowledge.
A targeted audience to break isolation
This service is intended for people over 60 years old as well as those with disabilities or in convalescence. It relies on a well-established solidarity system: home meal delivery.
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The 130 beneficiaries of this service received a bag containing a membership form for cultural delivery. Interested individuals only need to return the completed document via the delivery agents, who act as a liaison with the media library.
The ambitions of this project go beyond the simple delivery of materials. The Municipality intends to allow beneficiaries to access the rich collections of the media library and stimulate their cognitive activity, a major challenge for maintaining autonomy.
Beyond the intellectual aspect, the initiative has a strong social purpose: strengthening connections, continuing to "consume" culture, and fighting against the feeling of isolation. Ultimately, the City hopes to give these residents the desire to step through the doors of cultural venues once again.
A simple and personalized operation
Once the membership form is submitted, a media library staff member contacts the person directly by phone. This personalized interview helps to precisely determine their tastes, whether for novels, documentaries, magazines, audiobooks, DVDs, or CDs.
A tailor-made selection of up to five items is then prepared. Delivery is handled by the meal delivery agent, a familiar face who drops off the dedicated bag.
The beneficiary then has one month to enjoy their selection before returning the full bag, triggering the preparation and delivery of a new series of cultural discoveries.
Article from the print edition of La Gazette du Var