The invitation to the inauguration of the Maison-Mère EHPAD (home for the elderly and dependent) in Saint-Brieuc, France, came both from the Congregation, via the Superior General, and from the ‘Jeanne Guernion’ Association, via Mr Le Goff, President.
Is 4 years a long time? Perhaps not on the scale of a lifetime! But at the Maison-Mère, rue des Capucins, in Saint-Brieuc, the daily lives of the residents, the communities who live there and all the staff in the various departments have often been turned upside down in just over four years! It took a great deal of ingenuity, flexibility and courage on the part of everyone involved to find the best way of getting around as the work progressed, delivering meals and linen on time, and responding to care calls by bypassing the parts of the house closed for work. How many more steps! It was all a challenge. And it was met. The aim was to renovate the interior of this solid building, while guaranteeing service and rest for the 100 residents of the EHPAD. We even had to get used to the different addresses: 20 rue des Capucins for the Mother House and 22 bis for the ‘Jeanne Guernion’ Home, with its car park and coded entrance.
On 24 January 2025, Sister Ann Almodovar, Superior General, and Sister Philomène Ac’h, Provincial, together with Mr Jean Le Goff, President of the ‘Jeanne Guernion’ Association, invited personalities from Saint-Brieuc and the Département, representatives of various establishments and the heads of the companies that worked on the site, to the newly refurbished Salle Saint-Jean to mark the end of the work and present what the retirement home has become. Sister Ann Almodovar recalled what our Mother House has been since 1834. It is also the headquarters of the Congregation, recognised by the State in 1810. It’s also a place to remember 300 years of history through the Archives service and a place of communication through the service of an international website. Above all, it remains a place of welcome, the Family home for all the Daughters of the Holy Spirit as well as for the Associates and consecrated secular. Since 1979, the ‘Jeanne Guernion’ Association has managed the house bearing the same name -that of a Daughter of the Holy Spirit, a native of Hillion, who did much to improve the quality of health services and the training of sisters assigned to caring for the sick-.
Extracto del discurso de la Hermana Ann: “The association has evolved over the years while maintaining a constructive dialogue with the authorities on which it depends. Together with all those who live in this home, both religious and lay, it is committed to bringing to life a genuine project for the elderly, driven by human and spiritual values.” Five buildings have been restructured and two extensions created, all in a large green space in the city centre, with a secure garden and magnificent trees. Sister Ann thanked in particular the departments and sisters who took part in this project, and Véronique Lanoë, the Province’s administrator, who followed the work step by step with great skill.
Mr Jean Le Goff congratulated and thanked the 23 companies that had worked on the restoration and the 9 organizations responsible for steering and coordinating the project. He spoke of the work of the two previous Directors and thanked the current Director, Nicolas Després. 68 people are employed in the house in one capacity or another, and without their involvement day after day, the work would have taken longer, due to the inevitable surprises in an old building… not to mention the Covid period, which further complicated the situation.
Other speakers were invited by Mr Le Goff: Mgr Denis Moutel, Bishop of Saint-Brieuc, who thanked the Congregation and the Association for their investment in the service of the elderly, with a concern for appropriate support, including spiritual support. – The Deputy Mayor of Saint-Brieuc. He pointed out the importance of retirement homes for the future, given demographic trends. – The representative of the ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé). This body, along with the Safety Commission, monitored and checked the conformity of the work at each stage of its progress, before giving the go-ahead for the premises to be occupied. Final approval was given at the beginning of October 2024… and by the 14th of the same month, all the moves had been completed so that the new rooms could be occupied. In January, a Pôle d’Activités de Soins Adaptés (PASA), began operating…
On 6 January 2025, the dining rooms on each floor came into service. As a result, the Daughters of the Holy Spirit were delighted to find a pleasant community room, a new ‘Marie Balavenne’ room, in what had been the restaurant during the years of renovation. From now on, this vast room will also be used for the festive days of the ‘Jeanne Guernion’ house, an ideal setting for reunions.
In this renovated home, the Board of Directors is keen to ensure that the cost of the stay remains in line with the average for similar establishments in the region.
For the 68 members of staff and for the residents, the change of habits is causing quite a few worries. But little by little, everything is returning to normal. The beauty of the surroundings – the activity room, hairdressing salon, cafeteria, reading areas, dining rooms and decorated corridors – helps them to find their bearings and accept the changes. What’s more, there’s a great deal of mutual help on hand to overcome the inevitable loss of orientation, as departments change name and new lifts are explored… All of which stimulates the memory, helping to keep an eye on the future in a place that is already home to several centenarians.
Long live the renovated ‘Jeanne Guernion’ house! May it keep alive the intuitions of Marie Balavenne and Renée Burel.
Sister Marie-France Cavaloc, Armelle Hyon, Madeleine Jaffrédou, members of the Conseil de Vie Sociale.
Published on 30 January 2025
