The government will present within six months a “roadmap” to help the nursing home sector, announced Wednesday the Minister of Solidarity Jean-Christophe Combe, arousing the impatience of professionals who are calling for “emergency measures “.
“At the beginning of October, I will bring together all the actors concerned to launch the Factory of aging well “, which will go through “a dozen citizen workshops in the departments”, specified Mr. Combe in front of the assizes of the Ehpad in Paris.
“I hope that within six months we will come up with a roadmap for the aging well in France”, added the Minister, specifying however that it “is not a question of launching a new major consultation”.
The 2023 financing bill for the “Safety” (PLFSS), which will be presented on September 26, will also include “Concrete measures” in favor of nursing homes, in particular aid to deal with inflation, announced Mr. combe.
“We will also start with this PLFSS to implement the President of the Republic’s commitment to create 50,000 nursing or nursing assistant positions,” he added.
The main players in the sector reacted impatiently, even angered, to the announcement of this working method, which according to them does not respond to the very difficult situation experienced by nursing homes, in particular because of a serious shortage of staff.
In a press release, the Fnadepa, which brings together some 1,400 directors of establishments, thus said it was “ulcerated” by a “method in complete inconsistency with the gravity of the situation”.
“Why wait for yet another consultation? In recent years, everything has been documented in the numerous reports submitted and the consultations carried out, ”added this association, which is calling for a massive communication campaign from the government to help the sector recruit.
“For lack of sufficient staff, in some establishments residents are up at 10:30 a.m. and go to bed at 4:30 p.m.! “, described Annabelle Vêques, director of the Fnadepa, in front of the assizes of the Ehpad.
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“It’s been 15 years since all governments backed down on this file,” she observed to AFP after the minister’s intervention. “We are always told that we will consult, do it later. However, it is time for action! “, she added.
For Florence Arnaiz-Maumé of Synerpa, the main union of private nursing homes, the method announced by the minister is “unacceptable”. “We need immediate measures, from the PLFSS, we cannot wait for an action plan next spring,” she commented.
For several years, professionals in the sector have been standing up against the abandonment of the “old age law” promised by Emmanuel Macron in 2019, and always postponed since.
This question of a specific law is “a question of form”, observed Mr. Combe in this regard on Wednesday. “What matters to me today is what you want to put in it and it’s above all to be efficient. That is to say not to postpone to a law what can be implemented quickly,” he added.