EUROPE 1 EXCLUSIVE - Ageing at home, an increasingly expensive luxury

Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: JEAN-MICHEL DELAGE / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 07:00, November 28, 2023

How much does it cost to be old in France? While the bill n°643 concerning "ageing well", led by the Minister of Solidarity and Families Aurore Bergé, was widely adopted by the deputies of the National Assembly last Thursday, Retraite.com and the Silver Alliance have published for the fourth consecutive year their barometer "How much does it cost to be old in France?". In France, one in three French people will be over 60 years old in 2030. And more than 92% of them want to age in place. That's why every year since 2020, the two organizations have presented the average cost of aging well at home when you're 65, 75 or 85.

To do this, the price changes of 20 products or services, such as health insurance, home help, meal delivery, transport costs or equipment necessary for dependency, were analysed to develop the cost of ageing well at home. On the other hand, this was achieved outside of constrained expenses such as rent, water, electricity or food. To do this, more than 220 quotes were studied.

€14,596 per year on average

In concrete terms, aging with dignity at home is estimated at 14,596 euros per year, or 1,216 euros per month on average. This represents the average cost over 20 years of living properly at home from age 65 to over age 85. This amount is up 4.5% year-on-year.

"It should be remembered that this inflation is slightly lower than the general inflation which is 4.8% according to the latest figures published by INSEE in August 2023. This increase is in addition to those already recorded since the first barometer. Indeed, between 2020 and 2023, the average cost of living well and aging well at home increased by 16.6%," said Benjamin Zimmer, Associate Deputy Director of the Silver Alliance and a guest on Europe 1 morning on Tuesday.

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This inflation in the average cost can be explained by the increase in energy and raw material tariffs, which continue to weigh on companies' costs. Unfortunately, the latter are forced to pass on this increase in the prices of the solutions marketed to their customers.

"However, some measures taken by the government have helped to limit inflation on certain products. This is the case for the price shield on petrol put in place from January to June and the price shield on electricity renewed in February," notes Ludovic Herschlikovitz, founder of Retraite.com. In order to compare, the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA) estimated the median price for a month in a nursing home at 2,004 euros in 2019.

A variable cost depending on the profile

However, this monthly cost is established by profile and age group. For example, for retirees aged 65 to 75, the average price of ageing well at home is 695 euros, a sharp increase of 7.6% over one year. For this profile, the main items of expenditure are transport costs (+16.25%) and health (+5.11%). At this age, retirees are still very mobile. As a result, they are still highly exposed to soaring prices at the pump.

For people aged between 75 and 85, the average cost is €885 per month, again with an increase of 7% over one year. "As they get older, seniors tend to reduce their travel and find it increasingly difficult to accomplish certain daily tasks. As a result, their home service costs are higher," the statement said.

Photo credit: Silver Alliance and Retraite.com

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Finally, from the age of 85, the average cost soars to 2,070 euros per month. While the price has also risen compared to last year, it remains less significant than for the other age groups (+2.5% year-on-year). For these retirees, dependency and access to care are accompanied by home care (home services, night care) represent the first item of expenditure. The average cost of aging well at home is higher for these retirees because they may have to equip themselves with medical products such as hearing aids, which are often expensive.

Photo credit: Silver Alliance and Retraite.com

"This study, which is updated every year, makes it possible to monitor pricing, technological and social trends in order to provide the French with a preventive measure against ageing, which remains one of the major issues of the next ten years," concludes the founder of Retraite.com.