The Gravediggerss, this survey of the retirement home group Orpea, will also have an impact in Belgium. The Belgian authorities have indeed launched inspections on Thursday in the operator’s retirement homes to correct any malfunctions, following the revelations of journalist Victor Castanet.
In the French-speaking region of Wallonia, in the south of the country, five of the 19 establishments operated by Orpea were targeted by an “unannounced inspection”. Each will be the subject of a report, according to the regional Minister of Health, Christie Morreale, suggesting that all the sites would be inspected in the coming days.
“You have to be intransigent”
Investigation the Gravediggers updates the practices of the Orpea group, a French specialist in private clinics and retirement homes: hygiene care, medical care, and even meals for residents would be “rationed” to improve the group’s profitability. And this, while stays are charged at full price. Revelations that the French government has described as “revolting”. Christie Morreale, for her part, denounces the facts “intolerable”.
“Cases of abuse are not always observed in the private sector, but indeed that is where there is a greater risk of abuse.she says. You have to be intransigent.” Orpea, present in 23 countries, mainly European, disputes these accusations, which it judges “false, outrageous and prejudicial”.
For its part, the Belgian subsidiary of Orpea also declared this week the opening of an investigation in one of its establishments in Walloon Brabant, south of Brussels, targeted by accusations of ill-treatment linked to the lack of staff. In this luxury nursing home, “a caregiver found herself alone caring for 22 Covid-positive residents”assures RTBF Claudia Reckinger, of the Setca union.
“Today we cannot objectify everything that has been brought up by the unions, we are still investigating the residence. In relation to the lack of staff, you know that we have been experiencing a health crisis for more than two years, and we have not been spared by this crisis within our houses”, replies Julie Delrue, quality manager at Orpea Belgium.