The French Hospital Federation (FHF) sounded the alarm on Thursday April 18 on the budgetary situation of public nursing homes, calling on the authorities to increase all prices by 5%, such as the flat rate. ” care “ of Social Security, in particular to enable recruitment.
“Despite activity which continues to progress, public nursing homes are facing a massive, rapid and profound deterioration in their budgetary balances”underlines in a communicated the FHF, which brings together public hospitals and medico-social establishments.
The Federation relies on a survey it conducted in February and March and to which more than 730 public sector nursing homes responded, with more than 100,000 permanent beds. Public nursing homes represent just over 40% of the approximately 7,000 establishments in France, according to FHF data.
According to this study, nearly 85% of public nursing homes, almost double the number in 2019, recorded a deficit for the 2023 financial year, a “alarming record figure”, she laments. However, activity continued to progress, with an average occupancy rate of 94.4% (+1 point over one year), after the fall recorded in 2020 and 2021 with the Covid-19 crisis.
Orpea scandal
In relative good health until then, nursing homes were also shaken, at the beginning of 2022, by the Orpea scandal, born from the investigative book The Gravediggers by Victor Castanet (Fayard, 2022), revealing cases of mistreatment and financial embezzlement in this private group (renamed Emeis).
For deficit public nursing homes, the average deficit per place has worsened significantly, going from 3,226 euros in 2022 to 3,850 euros in 2023, according to the Federation, which highlights the impact of inflation (energy, food, etc.) . Establishments thus see their recruitment possibilities limited and investment capacities degraded, according to her.
In front of this ” critical situation “the FHF asks the public authorities “a 5% increase in the care package for nursing homes” financed by Social Security and the package ” addiction “ from departmental councils, as well as prices “accommodation” set by the departmental councils and regulated by residents (possibly with assistance from the departments).
The objective is to be able to ensure the 6,000 annual recruitments necessary in nursing homes to achieve the government commitment of 50,000 additional positions by 2030, notes the FHF. ” It’s urgent “ in front of the “unprecedented demographic wave of old age”alerts the Federation.