Municipal elections 2026 in Hendaye: what policy for the elderly?

Tristan Proteau is at the head of the right-wing list, Vivre Hendaye, the future belongs to you. By Nicolas Mollo “Our CCAS is very dynamic, with more than a hundred agents in the elderly sector, between the Ehpad and the Home Help Service (SAD),” defends the outgoing mayor Kotte Ecenarro, who is running for a 3rd consecutive term. Even though this also includes early childhood (49 agents), this year we are increasing the subsidy to the CCAS from 1.5 to 1.7 million euros. If we don’t do anything with that! Relative to the number of inhabitants, I don’t think there is anything better in the surrounding municipalities.”

The communal center of social action of Hendaye brings together 157 agents. By Émilie Drouinaud “We will include a whole health care section, especially mental health, for which we provide a municipal facility,” says his LR challenger, who, despite these supposed negative feedback, still wishes to go further with the creation of a House of Elders. His flagship proposal. “It will bring together associations that take care of the elderly. Today, they have a very small local,” he laments. Placed under the direction of the current Council of Elders, which he believes is functioning well, it will centralize “a real policy” in favor of this public, with an administrative component, coordination of sports and cultural activities, as well as the organization of trips: “We will also organize visits by the elderly to schools, nurseries. And we will include a whole health care section, especially mental health, for which we provide a municipal facility.”

A House of Elders to be accommodated To physically bring all this together, Tristan Proteau has a location in mind: “The municipal building behind the church.” Kotte Ecenarro perfectly locates it: “It is the former premises of the nuns, which the town hall acquired four or five years ago. The problem is that there are municipal structures already installed there, education, youth, and sports services.”

Kotte Ecenarro is not convinced by Tristan Proteau’s proposed location for the House of Elders.

Another idea presented by the right-wing candidate is “coliving” among seniors. “Associations connect elderly people who live in large houses that they can no longer maintain. They collectively purchase a house that they then divide to live in. The municipality would act as a facilitator.”

“We had the testimony of an elderly man living alone at the end of his street, surrounded by second homes.”

On the related topic of combating isolation, the leader of the “citizens’ left” group Hendaia Biltzen, Laetitia Navarron, emphasizes the importance of housing, especially this year. “We had the testimony of an elderly man living alone at the end of his street, surrounded by second homes.”

Tristan Proteau finally proposes the creation of a solidarity platform: “It will be called Hendaye mutual aid. If a person needs help cutting a tree, going shopping, etc., they will have phone numbers of people who have signed up for it at their disposal.” A similar system is also found in Kotte Ecenarro’s arsenal, under the name “Senior Solidarity Neighbors.”

Priority given to hospitalization at home The mayoral candidate and his abertzale opponent agree on the desire to maximize home hospitalization. The former wants to rely on the SAD. Laetitia Navarron intends to strengthen this policy by launching a Local Health Council (CLS), based on the model of the Local Security and Crime Prevention Council (CLSPD). This structure would bring together the Regional Health Agency (ARS), the CCAS, and local health actors. A municipal agent would be responsible for coordination.

“The strengthening of intergenerational ties is supported by all three candidates.”

“For home hospitalization, this CLS can make a diagnosis, which in some cases is covered by the ARS, before implementing an action plan,” she explains. Kotte Ecenarro considers that the current Territorial Health Professional Community (CPTS), which covers 11 municipalities in southern Basque Country, is sufficient.

Laetitia Navarron also advocates for the creation of a senior residence with a social vocation. “We have no specific demand on this subject,” doubts Kotte Ecenarro. “We would need to find co-financing solutions, social action falls under the responsibility of the Department.” The socialist is more in favor of “mixed co-ownership housing, with young and older people.” The strengthening of intergenerational ties is supported by all three candidates.

Kotte Ecenarro adds a security dimension to this support for the elderly. If re-elected, he will not backtrack on the abandonment in early 2025 of the “I light my street” program: “We tested it for three or four months, the elderly people took it badly. They felt insecure. Even if they didn’t go out, they looked out their windows and it was dark.”