“Réhabitat” – Rehabilitation of Living Environments
An innovative project is a new way of acting to improve the daily lives of elderly people who are vulnerable or isolated. It involves rethinking existing solutions, experimenting with new approaches, and creating initiatives that are more humane, supportive, and sustainable.
Through collaboration between different stakeholders — citizens, associations, institutions, and volunteers — these projects aim to break isolation, strengthen social connections, and promote the well-being of older adults.
“Réhabitat” – Rehabilitation of Living Environments
In a nutshell
The Réhabitat project, led by Soins Chez Soi, aims to improve the living conditions of older people living in severely deteriorated or unhealthy housing. Through tailored support, the project helps restore safe, healthy, and suitable living environments that enable people to remain at home.
The context
Some older people live in severely deteriorated housing conditions, often linked to situations of psychological vulnerability, such as Diogenes syndrome. This condition is characterised by excessive accumulation of objects, poor hygiene, and social isolation.
In Brussels, these situations are often worsened by pest infestations (rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, etc.), which pose significant challenges in terms of health, safety, and dignity.
These living conditions also make it difficult, or even impossible, for home care and support services to intervene, further increasing the isolation of those concerned.
The project
Réhabitat provides targeted support to address complex situations related to unhealthy and unsafe housing conditions.
The project focuses on two main issues:
- cluttered living environments, often associated with situations similar to Diogenes syndrome;
- the management and treatment of pest infestations.
The interventions aim to restore healthy living conditions and create an environment compatible with independent living at home and the provision of support services.
Impact
By addressing these situations, the project helps to:
- improve living conditions and restore the dignity of the people supported;
- enable older adults to remain at home under better conditions;
- facilitate the work of home care and support services;
- reduce health risks associated with unhealthy housing conditions.
