Retirement - You’re not alone

For some people their later years can be a time of genuine distress either through lack of foresight or plain bad luck. There are sources of help within our community – notably the British Association and the churches. Less familiar to expat residents are the centres communaux d’action sociale which exist in most towns and offer a whole range of support services and practical advice. I visited the CCAS in Nice and was impressed. Director Jean-Paul David told me: “Among the facilities we offer the elderly are a home assistance programme, helping with household tasks and shopping, a meals-on-wheels service calling twice a day, a system of panic buttons bringing help to those in difficulty, monthly allowances to help the sick to stay in their homes as long as possible, subsidised restaurants for the elderly, a range of accommodation from sheltered housing to full residential care and a network of clubs covering all sorts of activities. Our message to our seniors is quite simple: You’re not alone.” Not every CCAS is as generous (or well-endowed) as that in Nice but in any town it’s worth finding out what’s available.

From Riviera Reporter issue 123, Oct/Nov 2007

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