The situation in nursing homes remains dramatic, testify caregivers

• After the publication of the book Les Fossoyeurs on the situation in retirement homes, the ministry released a damning report for the private Ehpad group Orpea.

• But beyond the ministry's announcements and the risk of lawsuits, has the daily life of residents and caregivers been changed for almost three months?

• According to testimonies received by

  20 Minutes

  , nothing has changed.

  The situation has even worsened, as some families are demanding more accountability from still understaffed caregivers.

• For the sector, the presidential election represents a missed opportunity.

Each week, a new complaint, a new report, an investigation report puts the spotlight on the situation in our nursing homes.

The sequence opened by Victor Castanet's book

which denounced the abuse suffered by seniors in certain nursing homes, has not finished talking.

If this question was not the favorite subject of the two rivals for the second round of the presidential election, many families are concerned about it.

gave the floor to caregivers to find out if the Orpea scandal has changed their daily lives.

"I see more and more disaffection for our professions"

The least we can say is that in view of the 140 stories we received, the feedback is as worrying as it is homogeneous.

First on working conditions, which are increasingly complicated.

Murielle, who has worked in a public nursing home as a caregiver for twenty-five years, sums up the situation bluntly.

“It's getting worse and worse, no improvement in working conditions, neglected residents and institutional abuse known to management who denies the facts and muzzles employees, who in the public service are subject to the duty of reserve.

»

Cyprien, 26, nuance: “Not all establishments are like Orpea, Korian or Medici – and fortunately!

–, but institutional abuse exists in all nursing homes, private for-profit, private non-profit or public.

There is a huge shortage of medical personnel everywhere.

Due to a lack of applications, a manager admitted to me that she preferred to keep an incompetent person, dangerous for the residents.

There has been a significant turnover of caregivers with the health crisis, weariness has set in and a large number of caregivers have changed service or resigned to do temporary work.

»

Second point which seems to make consensus: nothing has changed since the publication of the

.

"The subject is controversial, but there has not been any recruitment or additional resources," laments Ludivine, 31.

Worse, the discredit cast on retirement homes further discourages caregivers in post.

“I see more and more disaffection for our professions, especially caregivers, analyzes Nathalie, 53 years old.

In August, I definitely stop!

»

Thomas works in an Ehpad of the Orpea group.

And even in its establishment, the reaction of the management was not as expected.

“It is at our level that we had to request an interview with a manager to obtain an additional caregiver position, but we very rarely see this person.

Hiring with job creation is planned, but it remains very mysterious.

The many temporary replacements who go through our structure only very rarely come back…”

“More suspicious” and more demanding families

What has changed, however, is the attitude of some families.

A nurse, Cyprien was thus “burnt by a family with very virulent remarks about the controversy around Orpea.

A crisis cell with a staff psychologist has been set up to avoid further scandals”.

“We have all noticed a change in families vis-à-vis the decisions and the care we offer, adds Mélanie, 33 years old.

For some, absolutely everything is discussed, not for all, fortunately!

On the management side, we are instructed to appease the families, not to enter into conflict with them.

Sometimes it is very difficult, we are looked down on, we are spoken to badly..." Same echo with Sandrine, 49 years old: "Since the publication of this book, we have had relationship difficulties with some families who are more suspicious about the quality care.

»

Among the 140 testimonies, some however give to hear another music.

Mélanie, 28, works in a Korian establishment.

And she regrets the caricatures conveyed for a few months.

“We are in no way concerned with what is said in the book as well as in the reports.

“Charlotte, qunat to her, recognizes” a very slight improvement, because the ARS came.

But as in many stories, the key problem, difficult to solve, remains the lack of staff in his establishment.

The Ségur de la Santé, insufficient?

However, attractiveness should have been boosted by salary increases.

Indeed, from the Ségur de la Santé, carers in public and private associative nursing homes receive € 183 net more per month.

Those from the private sector, €160.

Insufficient, deplore our interlocutors.

In particular Francky, 45, a caregiver for thirteen years in these establishments: "I see a constant deterioration in working conditions and patient safety due to a cruel lack of staff linked to a lack of love for the profession given the working conditions and the non-recognition of our profession both hierarchically and financially.

Neither the repeated scandals, nor the Covid-19 and nor the Ségur have changed anything.

Will the recruitment campaign launched on March 21, 2022 to encourage young people to enter the care professions change anything?

Another part of Ségur: an envelope of 1.5 billion euros over four years is planned to improve the often dilapidated architecture and remedy shortages of equipment.

Marie*, occupational therapist in an Ehpad, admits her frustration.

“The Ségur has made it possible to buy a little more equipment for the year 2022, it is appreciable.

But the needs at a given time are not those of the whole year.

And therefore requesting "urgent" equipment during the year takes a lot of time [because the order must] pass before the various decision-making commissions.

And the old person meanwhile, waits.

»

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