“A unique system in France”: La Veilleuse, this company in Gigean which takes care of the elderly at night

Jacqueline, Colette et Jean Favier (à gauche, au centre et devant) et Sophie Herrera à droite. Midi Libre – Kelman Marti

Sophie Herrera, nurse, sold her private practice in Bouzigues to devote herself to La Veilleuse.

"For eleven years, I was a liberal nurse. I had big problems leaving elderly people alone at night without supervision. If they fell, they could die alone on the ground waiting for help, in vain, for hours. That had to change!" So, Sophie Herrera did it. She decided to put this observation to rest by having the idea of ​​La Veilleuse.

"A unique device"

The concept ? "A unique remote monitoring system in France at night provided by health professionals", in the words of the designer.

To do this, the company based in Gigean installs cameras, most often in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and corridors towards the toilets of elderly people's homes, to ensure that they do not fall or run away. Users can also wear a saturometer or a connected watch with GPS, telephone service, which takes the pulse and saturation. Finally, if the Internet is needed, it adds a router to operate the equipment via WiFi.

"So, we have everything we need to detect the slightest problem and almost nothing can escape us", comments Sophie Herrera.

The nightlight team

This role falls to the “night lights”, caregivers or carers. Often two in number per night, they constantly monitor, like air traffic controllers, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the cameras and health data of each user, using their tablets at home. Every hour, they also send a personal report to the nurse, Sophie Herrera, and a report of the night to the families at the end of their shift.

At the slightest problem, they reassure patients through the speakers of the cameras or watches, and immediately call the families and the firefighters. "Not long ago, a night light dissuaded a lady who had Alzheimer's from running away from home by talking to her with the watch", says Sophie Herrera. "We feel safe and we don't even pay attention to the system", shares Jacqueline Favier, a 91-year-old user in Sète.

An inexpensive solution

If she and her husband Jean, 94 years old, benefit from the La Veilleuse system, it is thanks to their daughter Colette who suggested it to them. "I didn't want a caregiver at night", declares Jacqueline. "It saves me from going to the nursing home", adds Jean. For the couple who lived together for 71 years, the end was lived in their apartment in Sète and not elsewhere.

After having assumed the role of carer for months with her brothers and sisters (which costs a minimum of 50 euros per night), the septuagenarian was able to remove this weight from her shoulders by preferring the 6.50 euros. ;per night of La Veilleuse with the reduction of the tax credit. "I would not have had the means to pay for assistance for the night, nor two rooms in a retirement home", confides Colette.

National ambition

Created in January 2023, La Veilleuse has four employees, a nurse (Sophie Herrera) and three “veilleuses”. The team today takes care of around thirty elderly people, mainly in H&rault, but also Aude and the Pyrenees-Orientales. However, the device can be used everywhere in France. "I had a call from Paris last time, recalls the designer. When it is far from the region, we send the material to another location. an IT specialist in the city concerned and he takes care of installing everything. Follow a patient à Montpellier or Lyon, it’s the same thing for us." Despite the fact that At its young age, the company is thinking big. "The problem of nighttime for elderly people is everywhere in the country. I dropped off a patent for the entire country, including overseas. À Ultimately, we would like to recruit “night lights” additional resources to be able to take care of more patients who need help", aims Sophie Herrera.

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