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The elderly are particularly vulnerable to loneliness, which increases the risk of psychiatric, cardiovascular and neurocognitive co-morbidities and mortality. Improving social support can help limit the impact of this. Maisons d'Accueil et Résidence pour Personnes Agées (MARPAs) offer a solution, although their influence on social support has received little attention in the literature. We conducted a qualitative analysis based on a field survey of semi-structured interviews with elderly people living in two establishments in the Loire. Although MARPAs provide effective social support, they only seem to address the problem of loneliness in independent elderly people if it is significant and associated with proven isolation at home. On the other hand, they are increasingly seen as an effective alternative to EHPAD (Établissement d'Hébergement pour Personne Agée Dépendante). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]