Orpea: the ARS imposes changes on the nursing home at the center of the book "Les Fossoyeurs"

Europe 1 with AFP 2:20 p.m., March 30, 2022

"Reorganize the day and night teams" or even "set up enriched meals": in a report released on Tuesday, the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS IDF) imposes changes on the Ehpad du Orpea group of the "Bords de Seine", particularly targeted by the work

.

Asked, the Orpea group assured that it would implement these changes "as soon as possible" and presented its "apologies to the residents and families".

"Securing the organization of the drug circuit"

Since the publication of Victor Castanet's book in January, the ARS IDF has carried out 90 inspections within accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people in the Ile-de-France region, with 707 Ehpad of which 19% are public, 33% private not-for-profit and 48% private for-profit.

The Ehpad of the Orpea group of the "Bords de Seine" of Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), intended for the elderly suffering in particular from Alzheimer's, is one of the four establishments having been the subject of a "final decision" following these checks.

Its management has been ordered to reorganize its day and night shifts within three months.

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The ARS also asks him to "secure the organization of the drug circuit" within a month, to "carry out an assessment of the risks of malnutrition" and to "put in place enriched meals" in a within one month, or even to "update the conventions of liberal exercise of masseurs-physiotherapists" and "to ensure traceability in the files of residents", this time "without delay".

These directives are based on the observation of malfunctions.

Thus, the report notes the understaffing "likely to affect the quality and safety of the care of residents", with in particular an increased use of contractors.

He also underlines that the rights of users "are not all respected" and that "some of the services offered (...) do not exist (...), such as balneotherapy".

"First corrective measures"

"While the manager has chosen an internal catering service", there is neither "enriched meal" nor "appetizing", continues the Agency which meets "malnourished patients".

In addition, the pre-reporting of incidents are not transmitted to the ARS or to the Department, ensures the report.

The ARS IDF "has issued recommendations and prescriptions and a single injunction, which we will process as soon as possible", reacted the Orpea group, underlining the "unprecedented" context of the health crisis linked to Covid-19.

“The first corrective measures are already in place” to better organize the teams, guaranteed Orpea, with in particular the support of “a coordinating nurse since March 18”, and the training of two “additional well-treatment referents”.

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Regarding undernutrition, Orpea assured that it had decreased in the residence between 2019 and 2021, and that training on the subject of the teams was planned from April.

For the drug circuit, training has "already been carried out", "secure messaging of prescriptions between the site and the pharmacy will be set up" and a "new agreement" with "a new partner pharmacy" will come "into force on April 7," said Orpea.

An ongoing manslaughter investigation

On Tuesday, the group also said it was in favor of the next publication of another report, that of the IGS and the Igas, the conclusions of which reveal "serious dysfunctions" within the group of Ehpad, of after the words of the government.

The Ehpad des Bords de Seine is also at the heart of a preliminary investigation opened in Nanterre, in particular for manslaughter, following a complaint filed in 2020. In this complaint, the children of a resident who died at the age of 86 denounce, among other things, "opaque management of Covid-19" and "failures".

Admitted in March 2020 to the establishment, the resident was diagnosed with Covid-19 in early April 2020, says the complaint.

Four days after being tested negative, she suffered a stroke.

"At no time was (his daughter) kept informed of any deterioration in her mother's state of health", denounces the complaint which also raises that "her sanitary protection" has not been changed.

Three days after her accident, the resident was found "around 9:45 a.m., unconscious in her bed, not seen since last night" according to a note from the fire department.