Category: Tips

IT’’S IMPORTANT – THINK ABOUT IT !

No one is beyond suffering from a sudden loss of autonomy, for example after a cerebral vascular problem or a simple unfortunate fall.   At our age, we are all exposed to the risk of losing the capacity to judge situations, or one of the many forms of dementia.   We must think of this possibility, whose consequences could result in a loss of our individual autonomy.
This is what a former colleague reminded us in the Readers Correspondence on page 23 of our Bulletin No 51 in autumn 2016, an article which we strongly encourage you to read again :
https://gac-epa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/51.pdf
Recent French medical news demonstrates the difficulties which a family can meet when it is a question of end of life.   We have recently helped one of our members who was rather disoriented in his daily life.
Thus we believe that it is useful to encourage you to take action BEFORE knowing difficulties, be it either preparatory medical advice and/or for a mandate for incapacity (management and help with daily living)   To do this, we give below several addresses in Switzerland and France which could help you in this respect.

In Switzerland:

The first to contact for information : ProSenectute ou les Services sociaux communaux.

Pro Senectute Geneva has links with other cantons and with other associations and organisations,. : https://www.prosenectute.ch/fr/qui-sommes-nous/pro-senectute-pres-de-chez-vous-2/geneve.html

Mandate due to incapacity (management and help with daily living) :

https://www.geneve.ch/demarches/inscrire-mandat-cause-inaptitude

Early instructions (medical care) : https://www.geneve.ch/public/seniors/penser-mort/directives-anticipees

Example of practical guides :

https://www.prosenectute.ch/fr/services/conseil.html

https://www.caritas.ch/fr/trouver-de-laide

…also includes the Actions at end of Life and Wills

In France :

For information: the CLIC (Centre Local d’Information et Coordination Gérontologique), at Chevry in the Pays de Gex : https://www.paysdegexagglo.fr/vos-demarches/clic-seniors/

Mandate for future protection :https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16670

Early instructions :  last wishes for end of life care : https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F32010

If the links are no longer valid, search the web with keywords: For Switzerland: “mandat pour cause d’inaptitude” and “directives anticipées”. For France: “mandat de protection future” and ““directives anticipées”

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The Pension Fund informed us about the possibility for a pensioner domiciled outside Switzerland to receive the transfers of his pension to a non-Swiss bank insofar as this bank has a branch in Switzerland.

The essential rule for the Pension Fund to make such transfers is that the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the bank account to which the transfer is to be made begins with the letters CH.

European banks having a Swiss subsidiary and agreeing to open an account with an IBAN of the type CH… … for a pensioner domiciled outside Switzerland can be accepted by the Pension Fund’s payment system.

Some examples are known.

If you are having difficulty opening an account, you have the opportunity to become a member of the association AMFIE, the financial cooperative association of international civil servants.

Based in Luxembourg, this association offers services similar to those of a bank (credit card, savings, etc.). Many beneficiaries have already found this solution very practical.

Once the beneficiary is a member of AMFIE, the pension will be paid into that account in Switzerland and in Swiss francs.  Then it is possible to transfer the amount (automatically if desired) to another account in another currency of corresponding banks.

Full details on membership and financial services are available at: http://www.amfie.org