Out with the acronym Ehpad, in with "Maisons France Autonomie" (France Autonomy Homes). The government plans to rename, by 2027, residential care facilities for dependent elderly people, with a simple promise on paper: to talk about old age differently. The Minister Delegate for Autonomy and People with Disabilities, Camille Galliard Minier, advocates a "positive" approach to aging, emphasizing what remains—autonomy—rather than what erodes—dependence.
Behind the rebranding, the government is also seeking to regain control of a sector damaged by scandals, Orpea chief among them, and weighed down by a crisis of attractiveness that is no longer concealed. Staff shortages, high turnover, exhausted teams, family anxieties, and financial losses for some facilities… The reader is aware of this, and professionals even more so. Renaming is a way of sending a signal, an attempt to reconcile a new name with a reality that has become too burdensome to bear.
A label to turn the page, without masking reality
Camille Galliard Minier wants places "where older people want to live and professionals want to work." The stated idea is to transform facilities sometimes perceived as closed off into "houses open to the outside world," more integrated into local life, with the atmosphere of a living space rather than a medicalized corridor. The word "France," the minister explains, refers to a national mobilization in the face of the looming demographic shift, as if the issue of aging were finally becoming a matter for the country and not just for families.
The crux of the matter remains, the one that transcends slogans: what will actually change for residents and those who care for them daily? The criteria for the label must be developed in collaboration with professionals and seniors, following thematic meetings focused on six priorities, ranging from preventing unhealthy aging to promoting home care professions, diversifying shared housing options, and supporting caregivers. These criteria are expected to be presented at the national conference on autonomy, scheduled for September.
In the corridors of these facilities, many are primarily waiting for tangible measures, not just a new sign at the entrance. The criticism keeps recurring: changing the name doesn't fill the schedules, doesn't reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and doesn't create jobs for caregivers. The political objective is clear: to restore meaning and confidence. But what happens next will depend on the resources, the oversight, and the ability to deliver on the promise of a dignified, visible, and accepted old age within society.
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