ALMA France
| Date | 01 November 2004 |
| Published date | 01 November 2004 |
| Pages | 45-46 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200400019 |
| Author | Françoise Busby |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 6 Issue 3 • November 2004 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited 45
ALMA France (ALlô MAltraitance) was created in 1994 by
Professor Robert Hugonot, a retired professor of geriatrics.
ALMA France has several objectives:
■develop a national elder abuse helpline network
■support and protect the isolated, excluded and vulnerable
elderly
■recruit and train helpline listeners/counsellors among the
community and from the students and professionals of its
institutions
■evaluate and document the work in the form of statistics,
research, and publications
■inform the general and professional press, radio and TV
networks.
ALMA France is developing a national network of ALMA
helpline centres, with the aim of establishing one in each of
the 98 French départements. So far, 40 ALMA helpline centres
have been opened.
ALMA France helps professionals and volunteers build an
entirely autonomous and self-governing local ALMA centre.
Before the centre opens, ALMA France provides specialist
training to all listeners/counsellors and some administrators,
and afterwards provides free running support and advice. Each
ALMA centre is represented on the national board of directors.
Once established, each ALMA centre trains its own
volunteer listeners/counsellors. It keeps in contact with local
medical professionals, and informs the press through
publications. It also encourages training and research.
An ALMA centre involves four groups of people: the
administrators, the helpline listeners, the counsellors and,
finally, an advisory committee which is made up of
representatives from the local medical, social and judicial
services.
In each ALMA centre there are three operational groups –
the listeners, the counsellors and the technical steering
committee.
To cover two helpline duty sessions per week, a team of six
or eight listeners is necessary. Two listeners are present at each
ALMA France Françoise Busby
Director, ALMA France
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