The Happiness Programme Enhances Well-Being at Residence Lyna, Groupe Medifar (France)

Residence Lyna, part of the Medifar group, is a retirement home located in the southeast of France. Known for its human-scale establishments, this family-run network of medicalized residences offers warm environments and a care approach focused on residents’ well-being.

We spoke with Christie C., a clinical psychologist specializing in adult and elderly care, as well as EMDR and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) psychotherapy.

Christie shares her experience with The Happiness Programme:

“It’s a wonderful discovery! I can use it both in group settings and one-on-one, in a truly personalized way.

For groups, The Happiness Programme encourages stimulation and social interaction—residents laugh together and motivate each other, no matter their age! There’s even a 103-year-old woman who told me, ‘It’s amazing what we can do now.’

It’s not from their generation at all, but you can tell they really enjoy it—they’re very receptive and engaged. It’s a joy to see!

For residents with severe cognitive impairments, even if they are not actively participating, they observe, engage passively, and we can see that it captures their attention.”

Christie shares her residents’ favourite activities:

“They love the fish and lily pad activity, and popping the holi balloons too! They adore the colours. The flower petals and leaves are also very popular. They enjoy anything with bright colours and music!

Ball games are another favourite—they can pass the ball to each other, which really fosters interaction. Even when I introduce a more static activity, they still try to interact with the projector.”

When asked about personal anecdotes, she responded:

“One of our residents had a stroke and is aphasic—she no longer speaks and can only move one hand. This means there are very few activities she can participate in, and she is physically very limited.

But with this, she was able to fully extend her arm to reach for the light on the table. It was wonderful to see her regain confidence.

Another resident is also very motivated by her husband. We do activities with him beside her, and I encouraged him to stay and participate so they could share a meaningful moment together. Thanks to the island landscape activity, they even reminisced about their past travels” 

Want to learn how Groupe Medifar is transforming care with The Happiness Programme? Visit Medifar.org to find out more about its innovative approach to geriatric care.