Academic Chronicle/Synopsis
Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring®
Socio-Sanitary Benefits
Marie-Madeleine Bernard, Mathias Fruhwirth
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Table of Contents
Summary ...............................................................................................................................................4
Introduction : Médecine Conventionnelle et Apports de la Télémédecine........................................10
Intergenerational, common thread of Tele-Mentoring......................................................................13
Mandat et objectifs de la Fondation Internationale PACE 2000.........................................................15
4.1. Inspiration ................................................................................................................................15
4.2. First PACE 2000 intergenerational tele-sessions from 1994-1995 ..........................................20
4.3. Basis of technological co-design ..............................................................................................22
Synopsis of the technological journey 1996-2020 ..............................................................................23
connected by ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) telephone lines........................................24
Goniometer patent ®...........................................................................................................................26
Canada and INPI-France patents)........................................................................................................28
6.1. PART 1 : INTERGENERATIONAL TELE-MENTORING ™ “2D”.................................................31
Videoconference Goniometer.............................................................................................................43
6.3. THIRD PART: The Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring® “4D” ....................................................56
Preface
Pr (ém.) M. Buysschaert
Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels
As a doctor I cannot but be impressed by the journey described by M.M. Bernard and M. Fruhwirth in this
Cahier Académique. Their primary objective, from the outset, was the development of an "intergenerational
Tele-mentoring" program. Initially the trigger for their project was the observation by M.M. Bernard, in a
residential retirement “village” in the United States, of the societal benefit of “encounters” in the field,
between youth and the elderly.
The authors of the Cahier, as pioneers, will revisit this concept by developing a program in Canada that will
gradually lead them to set up a virtual structure (versus face-to-face) adapted to this “youth-senior”
interrelation. It is based on the pair model – bringing two partners from different generations into contact –
with the aim of not only reducing geographic isolation but, on the contrary, actively bringing people together.
At a time of loneliness and the fragility of certain strata of our society, this Tele-Mentoring project is
appealing due to its human dimension. How to be in phase, in particular in the context of "aging well", with
this meeting between of "two generations" (trainer-trained) which brings together and enriches each of the
partners, and go beyond the video screen which separates them... ? That said, the intentions of this work is
also to favour empathy, which should not be erased by technology and the remarkable advances of
technologies in recent years. In this context, it seems to me that the human proximity approach proposed by
the authors meets the requirement of this prerequisite. Thus, a form of personalized communication - of
connections forged - between young and old, able-bodied and less able-bodied, immigrants and native
Canadians, ultimately results in getting to know each other better, sharing ideas and projects with them and,
last but not least, stimulating learning, beyond social economic differences. With dividends for everyone.
And then, in parallel, there is this evolution towards tele-medicine and medical tele-consultation which, in
2022, concerns us all, caregivers and patients.
This Cahier describes in an exhaustive and concise manner, based on a range of results, the various
achievements of M.M. Bernard MD and Mr. Fruhwirth BS-Eng in the vast field of Tele-Mentoring that they
have developed and adapted throughout their journey. We wholeheartedly wish good luck to this opus
combining technological progress and altruism.
Pr (ém.) M. Buysschaert
Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé,
Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), 1200 Bruxelles
1. Summary
Guided by the global importance of intergenerational;
• human interactions,
• mutual support ,
• by the aging of populations and
• by the need to push the limits of local
intergenerational exchanges, already weakened in our
segmented urban societies and often confined to
Le Petit Prince se sent isolé
geographical isolation, we have made our way from 1994 to use
Information and Communication Technologies and…
produce innovations with societal impact that promote
links between generations and “Aging Well”.
It was therefore important to reduce the deleterious and
costly consequences of isolation on the health of our
populations, that they be confined in socio-professional,
cultural and generational silos, particularly in nursing
homes, and to contribute to the construction of a
intergenerational structure beyond borders, for societal peace.
Certainly the benefits of the
Inter-generational Residential Village, Mari de Villa, St Louis, USA,
founded by Mr. J and Mrs. G Linneman,
had convinced us very early of the impact of these face-to-face, fortuitous
or regular intergenerational contacts. However, where traditional means
of communication and exchange were no longer sufficient, we had to
resort to innovative means that were likely
to generate empathy for the benefit of
each generation, beyond ethnocultural
and geographical limits. First of all, it was a
question of convincing people of the
necessity and the value of relations
between seniors and youth, and this
before the era of the internet and social
networks.
We needed to resort to innovative means that could generate empathy for the
benefit of each generation, beyond ethnocultural and geographical limits.
So, at that time it was via radio (U. of Ottawa) and TV (Rogers) which,
through the weekly talk-show broadcasts of the " Inter-generational Salon
PACE2000", that we prepared the minds of the Ottawa-
Carleton Region, Ontario, Canada citizens and their
mayors (Marion Dewar, Jacquelin Holzman and Jim
Watson).
Thus, little by little, the questions common posed by senior sceptics of
"How could I be useful to a young person?" and youthful sceptics of “What
can I to do with an Elder…?” have gradually given way, throughout our
“technological journey”, to radically different testimonies in the follow-up
surveys on the use of the Tele-Mentoring™ including the following:
“I made a friend in exactly eight hours!
But it didn't happen in a day, but an hour at a time, over
eight weeks...”
“What I discovered is wonderful, an elder who is even more
active than me, with whom I learned a lot and who became
my friend”
“I love this program. It’s rewarding and it seems to me that
many young people and seniors could benefit from this
experience.
It was a wonderful experience that made my summer ten
times more attractive!
...Never give up on this program!”.
Among our participants, it was these very persons who, had initially
doubted the value of these connections, who then supported the
Intergenerational programs and contributed to the co-design of the
Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring® software applications, group and
personal mode videoconferencing PACE-2-Face, including the option of the
VideoConference Based Goniometer, VCBG, [a human limb, post-surgery,
range of motion measurement tool] useful for encouraging motivation for
physical exercise and “Aging Well”.
To achieve our objectives, we have gradually deployed and then
evaluated four stages of technological innovation:
1. The development of the "2D" [image & voice] Intergenerational Tele-
Mentoring™ made the sessions accessible at home to isolated
people, or in groups in long-term care centres (retirement centres),
in schools and colleges, preschool day-care
centres and at the Catholic accommodation
Centre for immigrants. The first was to
ensure the feasibility of various cultural
exchange programs, learning and youth-
elder partnerships through tele-presence
and intergenerational coordination.
2. Then came the promotion of “Aging Well” through tele-monitoring
at home, tele-physiotherapy and telemetry of joint play, thanks to the
“2D” Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring equipped with the VCBG.
Once the chair-exercise programs were adapted to the needs of
patients and codified by the physiotherapy department of the Perley
and Rideau Centre, (long-term care retirement centre). the
enthusiasm for these tele-sessions was
such that participation increased year
after year. year and that it was
sometimes necessary to move to larger
premises (this was particularly the case of
the Champlain reception Centre (long-
term care retirement centre).
3. From 2002, the Internet had become more generally available and
allowed for videoconferencing connections to be made using Internet
protocol, IP as opposed to the digital telephone, ISDN lines. This
facilitated the deployment of connections at low costs, replacing the
expensive lines, which were provided free of charge by Bell Canada
as a goodwill gesture, which PACE 2000 gratefully acknowledged.
4. With the transition from "2D" to our development of the "4D";
Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring app [image, voice, shared reading,
and writing] the inter-relational horizon had widened: we had
proposed this "4D" technology to which we added as an addition to
the "face to face" 2D, the possibility of sharing
a document on the screen that the two
members of the pair could each modify as they
wished. These results enriched the bilateral
learning with the inclusion trainer-trained pair
generated empathy and as an enhancement of
the conditions of practice in a medical office.
Nevertheless, it was important to identify the human resources required
and to develop the know-how for the organization and coordination of
programs necessary for the success of the sharing between volunteer
candidates, with "professional profiles".
different", without geographic or socio-medical
limits, with the ultimate objective of taming
partners - able-bodied and less able-bodied,
young and old, immigrants and native,
"I can't play with you, I'm
overcoming "loneliness" and promoting changes
not tamed,” said the fox
in behaviours, with its advantages in terms of human relations.
It was these tele-exchanges of "trainer-trained pairs", where, in a
context that everyone controls, that empathy appears, active listening,
understanding, appreciation of the participants and self-confidence,
which when applied to tele-medicine/consultation programs expanded
the limits of traditional medical consultation and therapeutic education,
by defining quality criteria for a technological interface, qualities that
can be responsible for our observations of transformations in human
relations.
In total, it is an extensive panorama of innovative and rewarding
programs, including financially rewarding, that came into being thanks
to the use of the Intergenerational Tele-mentoring in the educational,
professional, linguistic and, not least, medical fields, including
teleconsultation, therapeutic tele-education and tele-monitoring of the
care pathway.
In the recent context of increased needs for human intergenerational
relationships, these needs are multiple: these are the phenomenon of
aging populations and the limits of the placement of the elderly in nursing
homes (reference Frances TV2 Emission Cash Investigation program, aired 01/03/2022),
pandemics of Covid 19, global warming and wars which present themselves
as dangers of migration and
societal divisions. In particular,
many
reception
and
integration problems are to be
expected in countries that are
poorly prepared for these waves of immigrants in the loss of cultural and
psycho-socio-sanitary integration. To the young person who has the dream
of an easy migration to an Eldorado, why not offer him the “4D”
Intergenerational Tele-Mentoring® with a senior as a sponsor, who has
become his “tele-mentor”?
The latter will become aware of the needs
of "his protege" for a priority loco-
regional solution and could thus avoid the
reckless risks of a long migration.
Fortunately, the baby boom of the years
1946-1948 provided a fine reservoir of
senior candidates and volunteers!
It is therefore necessary to provide for these young and elder candidates
appropriate coordination and planning, which our governments must
encourage, because the testimonies are significant, such as that of Donald
Lavergne, volunteer elder and assiduous telementor: "Do not say that the
Tele-Mentoring ™ is only for seniors who are isolated. What interested me,
I who am very active, is to be able to help young people. This program is
remarkable”.
“Don't say Tele-Mentoring™ is only for seniors who are isolated. What interested
me, I who am very active, is to be able to help young people. This program is
remarkable”.
In this multifactorial context of promoting listening and empathy, and
guided by the transformational successes of the Intergenerational Tele-
MentoringTM, we continue to ask national and international authorities to
build and manage intergenerational tele-presence structures across the
different ethnocultural environments.
2. Introduction : Conventional Medicine and the Contributions of Tele-
medicine
The unique "doctor-patient" relationship occupies an
essential place in our medical practice. This means, in its
first acceptance, a bilateral and protected relationship, of
trust, between the practitioner and “his” patient. It is the
meeting of “a confidence and a conscience”, or, better, of a
“competence, a confidence and a conscience”. In other
words, this humanistic approach, as opposed to a
hierarchical and paternalistic medical approach, leads the
clinician and his patient to become allies – partners – in the
treatment and monitoring of the disease.
of medicine, going beyond its remarkable progress, in particular technological, and
beyond societal mutations and evolutions. It also implies, as already mentioned in Kos
Greece by Hippocrates in 420 BC, that the patient is not a passive subject but that he
must be an active actor, who cooperates, in his own right, with the doctor to combat
the (his) disease. This was also the point of view in France of masters like L. Portes (1891-
1950).
Such
a
personalized
–
individualized
–
approach to the patient is now part of the
treatment algorithms for many pathologies,
particularly chronic ones. Thus, by way of
example, the American and European Diabetes
This implies that…the patient is not a
passive subject but that he must be an
active actor, who cooperates, in his own
right, with the doctor to fight the (his)
disease.
Societies
strongly
indicate
in
their
recommendations that a prerequisite for
lifestyle and dietary and/or medicinal
treatments is a close "partnership" between
the doctor and his patient. diabetic. It is
together that they will discuss the most
suitable therapeutic approach for the patient,
in a context of health education, integrating a
range of shared information. This type of
Hippocrates of Kos
“contract” is also an effective weapon in terms of long-term adherence and compliance – and therefore
treatment success (reference).
In this spirit, the basic medical act remains the face-to-face consultation. This
meeting is based on a rigorous clinical approach that allows progress towards an
accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The space of privileged
"caregiver-care receiver" time, remarkably described by G. Alajouanine in the
first Cahier de l'Académie Francophone de Télémédecine et e-Santé (ref) first
includes a patients detailed anamnesis report during which, after having has the
personal history (and possibly family) specified, the practitioner collects and
compiles all the symptoms of his patient. It
is a time of listening - and of exchange -
essential because it makes it possible to
Listening and exchanging words are
delimit the perimeter of the medical
problem in all its details to identify,
gradually, the essential aspects.
therefore a first step which, in many cases,
already makes it possible to evoke the
diagnosis.
Listening and exchanging words are
therefore a first step which, in many cases,
already makes it possible to evoke the
diagnosis. The richness of this "dialogue" is underpinned by the caregiver's empathy, as Alajouanine
mentions. This empathy of the caregiver is essential to anchor the relationship that is created between the
caregiver and the one who becomes "his"
patient.
After the interview, the practitioner
performs a complete clinical examination,
guided by data from the anamnesis. Then
come, on the basis of medical reasoning, the
This empathy of the caregiver is essential
to anchor the relationship that is created
diagnostic hypotheses which will lead,
between the caregiver and the one who
becomes "his" patient.
rationally,
to
targeted
additional
examinations, based on the most efficient
technologies. This ultimately leads to the
correct diagnosis and the initiation of treatment. All of this consultation, face-to-face, is therefore done
within the framework of a personalized dialogue, leading, at the end of the "meeting", to a sharing of words
explaining to the patient the diagnosis and the "why and how" of the treatment and possible follow-up, as
remarkably mentioned in 2010 by G. Reach in his book “Une Théorie du Soin. Concern and Love in the face of
illness”.
This sequential approach remains the common thread of any consultation, whatever the type.
However, it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that this "ideal"
model, which was already coming up against certain limits
including remoteness, medical desertification, deficiencies in the
supply of care, financial constraints and the lack of time…, can be
modified… in innovative technological aspects, by following
quality criteria which also guarantee this privileged relationship
“carer-patient”. This was the result of our work since 1994.
Telemedicine, as a whole, and its various applications such as Tele-
Mentoring™, have become an alternative that has gradually established itself
in the medical care landscape. However, it does not aim to erase the
traditional approach, but to complement it. Telemedicine is defined by the
World Health Organizatoion, WHO as "the part of medicine which uses the
transmission by telecommunication of medical information, with a view to
obtaining a diagnosis, a specialized opinion, continuous monitoring of a
patient, a decision therapy”. Snoswell et al, in 2021, demonstrated, on the
basis of 38 meta-analyses, in ten medical specialties, that the effectiveness of
telemedicine was equivalent to a traditional medical approach . This was also Tchero's finding in a cohort of
diabetic subjects, including elderly patients . Tilden et al, in June 2021, in the journal Diabetes Care, also
reported in type 1 diabetics (insulin-dependent) that the transition from a face-to-face consultation to a
teleconsultation was not, in a majority of case, a brake on the quality of monitoring.
Recently, the COVID-19 crisis, which has shaken the world, has confirmed the interest of this new medical-
technological approach. The number of teleconsultations in France (CNAM figures) was in February 2020
before the pandemic 40,000. It exploded to more than 4 million acts in April 2020, with 56,000 teleconsultant
practitioners (vs 3,000 in February…)! We are therefore facing a growing success of this original telemedicine
concept and its applications, as Bokelo pointed out in 2020.
The Hippocratic spirit must be fully integrated into this new form of medicine...if medical excellence is to
be aimed for. Telemedicine, whatever its
application, without this empathy which makes
the richness of traditional medicine, does not
meet its primary objective. Personalized care
therefore retains a dominant place. This is what
It is the soul of telemedicine which
involves empathy through questioning,
listening, and exchange
Alajouanine strongly emphasizes in her Cahier:
“to be equivalent to face-to-face consultation, it
goes without saying that teleconsultation
requires the same prerequisites of excellence.
Getting into familiar the pathology of the other person is what makes telemedicine human. Each practitioner,
behind his computer screen, must do as he or she usually does in classic consultation. It is the soul of
telemedicine which includes empathy through questioning, listening, and exchange: these occupy a place of
choice – inseparable from the success of each telemedicine application. This is also the point of view of Lalau
and Klopp-Delaunay, in 2018 in their article entitled “Empathy and telemedicine”. Technological progress
also allows in 2021 a remote “clinical examination”, as reported in neurology by Al Hussona (ref) or in tele-
echography by Alajouanine. In short, there is an inexorable evolution underway, success of which today will
amplify tomorrow. Certainly, there are potentially obstacles to success. The lines of force obstacles and the
pitfalls of telemedicine have been described by Alajouanine in her Cahier "The caregiver-patient relationship
(RSS) and telemedicine".
The "Tele-Mentorin" in its various forms is part
of this vast landscape of telemedicine
"Tele-Mentoring" in its various forms is part of this vast landscape of
telemedicine of which it is an important variant. It is clearly a fundamental societal and socially oriented
application. The “doctor-patient” pair can be substituted in by a singular intergenerational approach, “a
“trainer – trained” pair. The trainer, whether he or she is in good health or has a disability/frailty, is the
expert: he or she sometimes has an educational role, like the doctor, sometimes a role of an Elder, the bearer
of collective memory ; the person trained has more of a “student” (patient) role. It is the trainees who will
benefit in their environment, from a
distance, from the skills of hi or her elder
"mentor", in different fields, always with
the same common denominator of singular
maintenance - and empathy. .
Thus our innovative technological journey
was dominated by the search for an
optimization of the human relationship and
In this context, the purpose of our
notebook is to describe in an exhaustive
better intergenerational accessibility.
way our experience in these applications of
Tele-Mentoring™ that we have developed,
as pioneers, since 1996.
The result of this original “intergenerational” approach by Tele-Mentoring has led to our PACE-2-Face™ tool
developed in Canada, in collaboration with hundreds of users.
We propose to first review the concept of intergenerational, common thread
of Tele-Mentoring™, then to define the mandates and objectives of PACE 2000.
We will then describe the historical evolution of PACE 2000 with its innovations
and technological progress which lead to an increasingly efficient
"intergenerational" model, and finally, we will analyse its various "clinical-
social" applications, as well as the evaluations of the participants. Whether in
face-to-face medicine or telemedicine in the broadest sense, empathy, as
already said, is a prerequisite, and will be a common thread throughout this journey.
Empathy will contribute to the richness of this Tele-mentoring and to its objectives of socio-sanitary benefits
in the service of older and/or vulnerable people.
3. Intergenerational, common thread of Tele-Mentoring
Whether in face-to-face medicine or
telemedicine in the broadest sense,
empathy, as already said, is a
prerequisite, and will be a common
thread throughout this journey.
Our era is experiencing a demographic revolution where the coexistence
of four generations will become the norm. It is likely that we have to go
back more than 30,000 years to see such a significant change in longevity,
which led to the appearance of the first grandparents. Palaeolithic
societies with crude technologies transformed into an era of
sophistication in the arts and weapons of combat during the Upper
Palaeolithic (Caspari et Lee, 2004).
Currently we may have the
opportunity to promote and amplify
intergenerational exchanges, within
the framework of this coexistence of
this isolation is now considered a risk factor for
mortality, equal to or greater than the risks
represented by a sedentary lifestyle and obesity
four
generations.
We
must
nevertheless note that in many cases
in our urban and even rural regions,
this intergenerational fabric is
weakened, which inevitably means a risk of isolation, of which the elderly in particular at risk.
Our modern society does not always take into account a “young-old”
social bond. For example, many spaces are built where people meet
without interacting (shopping Centres, large hotel chains, etc.). This is
also the case of the “placements” of seniors in Retirement centres (long-
term care centres), in which isolation and separation from the younger
generations contribute to aggravating their dependence.
However, non-isolation is the essential foundation for the harmonious
societal development of populations. The rich social bond is thus an essential component of “aging well”.
Long relegated outside the conventional borders of medicine, this isolation is now considered a risk factor
for mortality, equal to or greater than the risks represented by a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. On the other
hand, being integrated into a social network, participating in a project and contributing significantly to it
on a human level, are precious factors of longevity.
This observation of isolation with its consequences arises is also seen with chronic diseases (CD), which
moreover affect up to 60% of seniors aged 75 and over (General health insurance plan 2010). They are the
major concern of managers of health insurance agencies. The isolation of these patients, added to the
consequences of the chronic disease, can contribute to increasing their discomfort and their morbidity and
mortality. In this context, it will be necessary to control all these factors of isolation and anxiety experienced
by these people at risk is a priori a new approach that can limit isolation and lead to better self-management
of the chronic disease by the patient.
This was the first objective of our intergenerational
projects. The use of these Information and
Communication Technologies, ICTs, is an approach
that also allows remote coordination of the care plan
in which both the patient and the caregivers are
Promote, even “prescribe” human
relations through tele-twinning and
appropriate programs, thanks to
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT),
directly involved. It is then a grouped approach
which is a test of a multifactorial solution by a
technological standard in the face of the potential
difficulties of communication between young people
and seniors, between patients and caregivers.
4. Mandate and Objectives of PACE 2000 International Foundation
Created in Canada in 1991, the PACE 2000 International Foundation has been a non-profit
organization since July 7, 1992 and a registered Canadian charity since January 1, 1993 (Reg.
#892857962 RR 0001). It gave rise to the creation in France of the PACE2000.FR association on
February 1, 2017 (W751238024).
Considering that the isolation of individuals is a source of increased morbidity and mortality rates,
the PACE 2000 International Foundation [PACE2000.org and PACE2000.fr]
Programs for
Autonomy and
Communication for the
Elderly,
has had the mandate since its creation in 1991, to promote new relationship-oriented solutions, including
social and physical activities, between youth and seniors, thus promoting their physical and mental health. It
has therefore developed innovative tools for urbanization and virtual communities’ thanks in particular to
new communication technologies.
The promotion of regular interactions between these two social, strata, in particular young and old, able-
bodied and less able-bodied, aims to transform their lives and enrich the heritage, including the cultural
heritage, of each generation.
They also promote the integration youth in their community of, and allow seniors, even if they are confined
to their homes, to live more independently and be useful to the younger populations.
PACE 2000 has developed a know-how and a friendly network of Intergenerational Telecommunications
at home, adapted to the handicap, in the recreational, cultural, linguistic, educational fields as well as in
telemedicine and health promotion.
As part of a pilot project, these are:
• Promote communication and links between young and old.
• Offer the choice of shared projects
• Discover the other and establish a different relationship
• Continue to learn about various topics
• Feeding on differences
4.1.
Inspiration
PACE 2000 has developed know-how and a friendly network of
Intergenerational telecommunications at home, adapted to the handicap, in
the recreational, cultural, linguistic, educational fields as well as in
4.1.1.
Le Dr M-M Bernard, à Saint Louis, MO, USA
Dr. M-M Bernard, winner of an NCWC (National
Catholic Welfare Conference) scholarship, lived,
as an "exchange-student" (1965-1966 program) in
the Residential Village Mari de Villa, St Louis, MO,
founded by Joseph and Georgina Linnemann.
G. Linneman
J. Linneman
She was impressed and inspired by the intergenerational meeting
programs already in place between the young people who were
housed there and the senior residents, she observed, among other things, that through the practice of a few
daily tasks for the senior, through time and exchanges of words, in particular during the daily distribution of
meals by the young person, and also by singing and dancing at gala events... that the students gradually
became an "ally" of the seniors, and gradually form a supportive pair with the senior.
The PACE 2000 logo was inspired by the Gateway
Arch of the city of Saint Louis, Missouri USA
Programs of intergenerational meetings already set up between the young
people who were housed there and the senior residents, she observes,
among other things, that by practicing a few daily tasks for the elder, by
listening and exchanging words,
4.1.2.
First intergenerational plan by neighbourhood residential structure
Dr M-M Bernard took the initiative, in view of this original program and its success in St Louis, USA, to better
standardize intergenerational mutual aid and to found a residential structure in Canada, the
Intergenerational Residential Village.
To achieve these objectives, PACE 2000 had set-up seven executive committees:
1. Intergenerational,
2. Integrated services
3. Marketing
5. Design,
6. Development,
7. Evaluation,
4. 4. Board Committees,
PACE 2000 had prepared the design of this Inter-generational Residential Village with architect B. Hobin on
the land to be granted for this project by the Daughters of Wisdom religious community, and which had been
selected for funding by the Ontario Government.
Appartements pour les jeunes et espaces de
rassemblement communautaires
Logements individuels pour aînés
4.1.3.
Thus on January 5, 1995, Pierre Jury, of the newspaper Le Droit, published:
“This dream, today has a name "PACE2000", which evokes by its Latin root, the word "peace". A non-profit
company, PACE 2000 proposes the construction of a housing project qualified as “intergenerational”.
The development brings together three buildings or groups of buildings: a hundred townhouses…which will
be sold to seniors, a building with 140 units at low rent, and a community Centre including day-care, medical
clinic, restaurant, etc…
Young adults benefiting from subsidized housing in this complex will be people in training and will have to
cooperate in various tasks, such as helping the seniors…
Young helping hands can help keep seniors home much longer.
Doing so results in huge savings in health care costs… Dr. Bernard argues that the real problem for seniors is
the “three I's”.
Isolation, Insecurity and Uselessness”.
"At full maturity”, writes Pierre Jury, “the dream that has become a project will have cost $33M and will cover
an area of 15 acres...".
However, this dream, conceived with Jean Nouvel and Barry Hobin, will not take place, at least not in 1995,
because the change of Ontario Government, from socio-democrat "New Democratic Party" to Conservative
party, will lead to the cancellation of this intergenerational housing project.”
The seven PACE2000 executive committees voted unanimously for the
continuation of the intergenerational dream which would then be mediated
by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
4.1.4.
It was an intergenerational challenge launched in the hope of a major change:
The seven PACE 2000 executive committees voted unanimously for the continuity of the intergenerational
dream which would then be mediated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT):
It was a question of replacing the initial project of Intergenerational Residential Village with an
Intergenerational Tele-presence Village, de novo, which generates these links by another approach. In fact,
it was a two-fold challenge:
1. on the one hand, to convince the authorities and young and old populations of the benefits of
restoring intergenerational relations where they had been impoverished in generational silos,
2. and on the other hand explore and develop technologies that are ergonomic, user-friendly, intuitive
to use, adapted to handicaps, and at low cost.
Where the daily meetings between young people and seniors of the Residential Village, ad hoc or
programmed, lavished their benefits, the role fell to technologies to be able to convey these links...
This figure illustrates an example of geographic separation in Ottawa between seniors who live in the centre
of the city and young people on the outskirts.
To "convince" influencers of the socio-sanitary benefits of intergenerational ties, it was first the weekly
programs of the "PACE 2000 Intergenerational Salon " broadcast on radio (U. of Ottawa) and on television
(TV Rogers) that prepared minds of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton, ON, Canada, as well as the policies of the
mayors (Marion Dewar, Jacquelin Holzman and Jim Watson). Here are some of the topics covered by the
Salon PACE 2000 televised broadcasts:
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Assembly of First Nations
Links between students and veterans
Back to school at any age
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Medicines for Seniors
Sexuality
Space Exploration by Seniors and Youth
Wildlife sightings
Intergenerational housing
Images from
Salon PACE 2000
Television programs
4.2.
First PACE 2000 intergenerational tele-sessions from 1994-1995
4.2.1.
First approach: commercial videoconferencing digital phone lines and services ISDN
First, there was the use of existing videoconferencing (VC) services hosted and sponsored by Bell Canada,
which also required the presence of technical staff and often a dedicated location. The VC connection
between two groups of participants was at the time based on the digital telephone system, and known as
ISDN [Integrated Services Digital Network].
This system allowed point-to-point communication using telephone lines. Increased image quality was
achieved by increasing the number of telephone lines used. This expensive technology was provided free of
charge by Bell Canada to PACE 2000 for all the centres involved:
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including the cost of installation,
telephone lines and digital adapters
as well as long distance charges for each line used.
These fees, however did not allow wide dissemination of low-cost videoconferencing sessions.
In addition, users were forced to use cumbersome hardware and
standard interfaces designed by carriers or VC terminal
manufacturers. These interfaces were not suitable for the use of
the elderly and often required the assistance of technical staff to
guarantee the launch of the videoconference sessions.
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
These interfaces were not suitable for the use of the elderly and often
required the assistance of technical staff to guarantee the launch of the
videoconference sessions.