Adapted Physical Activity for patients with chronic diseases in a therapeutic community

The French therapeutic communities ("Appartements de Coordination Therapeutique (ACT)") are mostly members of the "National Federation of Accommodation for HIP and other chronic diseases': They provide accommodation for people living with chronic conditions (HIV, hepatitis, cancers...) and in a situation of high psychosocial frailty. As a result of their coordinated multidisciplinary intervention, these structures provide the required support to access health care and facilitate social inclusion. They are designed to provide an appropriate response to people with cumulative medical and social conditions (chronic diseases, precariousness, addictions and other comorbidities). Our innovative local experiment integrates Adapted Physical Activities (APA) into the global medical and social follow-up, in line with the patient's individual health care project. The characteristics of each APA project (nature of the activities proposed, intensity, duration, frequency, individual vs. team activity and accompanying methods) are defined on an individual basis, according to the user's motivations and inputs from the support team (medical, psychological and social coordination). The follow-up ensured by our APA professionals allows the residents to participate in a regular and attractive physical activity and could contribute to their social inclusion. The multidisciplinary approach proposed by ACTs determines the beneficial effects observed in such vulnerable patients.