[Innovating for an EHPAD of the future: the suggestions of professionals in the Alpes-Maritimes (France)].

A collaborative group drawn from various local public institutions and organizations has been reflecting since 2007 on the issue of aging populations and the prevention of age-related dependency within the framework of a public health project. This paper describes the approach used in this research and the results produced by a working group that was asked to imagine ideal elderly care institutions for the future. Based on an?internet forum and semi-structured interviews, four workshops were organized during a?symposium attended by local professionals specializing in gerontology. Thirty recommendations were put forward, grouped according to eight separate items. The various recommendations reflect three levels of innovation: innovation aimed at translating discourse into practice; innovation aimed at improving current practices; and innovation involving a change in long-established norms and habits. The practical implementation of these innovations will begin shortly with the support of a number of elderly care institutions.