Violence in retirement homes, medical deserts, isolation… In recent years, concern for the well-being of our elders has been in the news. While the French population is aging rapidly, the political world is having a hard time getting to grips with the subject, judge Jérôme Guedj, who launched the alert in an interview with Parisian.
Explosion of population aging
Guest of Europe 1 this Wednesday, the socialist deputy of Essonne does not mince his words in the face of the lack of consideration of the government on the subject. “The increase in life expectancy is an opportunity, it is the result of our social protection model. But at the same time, if we do not adapt all of our policies to this revolution in longevity, then we will have, I weigh my words, an aging crisis”, indignant Jérôme Guedj.
“Do you realize that in the coming years, we will go from four million people aged 75 to 84, to six million. In the next 25 years, we will double the number of people over 85. So it will show,” he worries.
A call to the government
Accompaniment in Ephad, isolation … All these questions “are not taken into account in their proper measure (…), any government confused”, adds the socialist deputy. “Jacques Chirac said at the time, about climate change: ‘The house is burning and we are looking elsewhere’. There, the house is aging and we are looking elsewhere. We act as if spontaneously, the families would be able to take care of it by themselves,” he continued.
Among the obstacles to the real management of the problem: “the intimate denial of aging (…) and of course, the financial obstacle. However, in June 2018, Emmanuel Macron had said: ‘We are going to make a Grand age”. Everyone said to themselves: “It’s great! There are reports that will be produced, consultation, lots of ideas that will be put on the table”. And every year since, the reform is postponed”, protests Jérôme Guedj, who is now calling on the government to pass this Old Age law, so as not to be caught off guard in the coming years.