What if you think an older person is being abused?

• The former deputy director general of the Orpea group, Jean-Claude Brdenk, was heard on Tuesday February 15 before the social affairs committee of the National Assembly on his management methods in nursing homes and denounced in the book

  Les Fossoyeurs.

• Since the release of this investigative book, families who have placed one or more of their relatives in a retirement home have wondered if they had suffered from abuse.

• However, it is not easy to identify a case of abuse, nor to know who to turn to next.

  20 Minutes

  takes stock

Grandpa has lost a lot of weight since he has been in a retirement home, is he also a victim of abuse?

There are often bruises on mom's legs, is that normal when you are 82 years old?

Families who place an elderly loved one in an institution can sometimes worry about them.

"There is often a bit of guilt, which makes them very demanding and hyper-attentive," notes Pierre Czernicahow, president of the 3977 Federation, which acts against the mistreatment of the elderly.

But since the publication of the shocking book 

which accuses the Orpea group of mistreatment in its Ehpad, the fears of families have been able to grow even more and perhaps be confirmed.

At a time when the former leader of the group continues to be accountable, how to identify a case of abuse in an elderly person and who to contact in these cases? 

tells you what to do.

How to identify a case of abuse?

"If we talk about abuse, it implies that the person is vulnerable and is not able to defend themselves," says Pierre Czernicahow.

We then understand that there is a balance of power and that the victim will not always be able to come forward.

It is therefore often up to the family or loved ones to be vigilant and to see if there is a problem.

On its website, the association Les Petits frères des Pauvres recalls that abuse is defined as "violence, characterized by any act or omission committed by a person if it harms the life, bodily integrity, psychic , to freedom, seriously compromises the development of his personality and/or harms his financial security”.

So much for the definition, but what about the facts?

"Cases of abuse are often detected by the observation of a change", our Pierre Czernicahow.

The Federation has listed the disorders which can put the chip in the ear.

Thus, victims of psychological abuse can alert by anxious behavior, changes in mood, attitude, silence.

When the violence is physical, there may be unexplained bruises, recent weight loss, lack of hygiene.

If the abuse is sexual, the victim may, for example, be unusually agitated during personal hygiene, withdraw into herself.

When the abuse is care-related, it may be unadministered treatment or unexplained pressure sores.

We don't think much about it, but abuse can also be financial or affect rights.

This can manifest itself in an unjustified restriction of the person's visits or movements, but also in unusual withdrawals from their bank account or failure to respect their expressed choices.

The president of the Federation nevertheless recalls that for each disorder observed, “an explanation other than abuse is obviously possible”.

Where to turn?

The first instinct is first of all not to keep a doubt, an observation or even a one-off observation to yourself.

"The World Health Organization says that in countries where work has been done on the subject, more than 95% of situations of abuse go unreported," explains Pierre Czernicahow, who admits that France has not data on the subject.

The first point of contact may be another witness or the personnel of the establishment: the head nurse of the department, the referring doctor or the director of the establishment.

If the relatives of a potential victim do not obtain satisfactory answers from them, they can then turn to higher authorities.

“If it concerns the quality of the patient's care: presence of bedsores, lack of food… We can turn to the Regional Health Agency.

If it is a lack of aid, negligence, such as a lack of toilets or diapers that are not changed regularly, it will rather be the responsibility of the Regional Council, “says Pierre Czernicahow.

Our file on the Orpea case

The volunteers of his Federation can also be reached at number 3977, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to listen to and guide callers as best as possible.

The president of the Federation recognizes despite everything that the follow-up given to alerts can be quite variable depending on the regions and departments.

Finally, if the ill-treatment observed is of a physical or sexual nature, with, for example, serious injuries, it is obviously advisable to file a complaint directly with the police with a documented file in support.

Health

Orpea case: Did you take your dependent parent home to avoid nursing home?

tell us

Society

Orpea case: failures in the control of private nursing homes before Parliament

• Abuse

• Society

• Complaint

• The elderly

• Retirement home

• nursing home

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