Three years after the Orpea scandal, the audits promised by the government have led to a worrying finding: 55 serious sanctions have been imposed on 43 nursing homes, 11 of which have been forced to close permanently.
Major malfunctions in fragile establishments
The inspection plan, launched in 2022, was led by the regional health agencies (ARS) and identified cases of mistreatment, serious malfunctions, and deficiencies in the care provided to residents. In some cases, inspectors made unannounced visits, prioritizing facilities suspected of abuse. As a result, 35 facilities were placed under provisional administration, 9 were temporarily suspended, and 11 were permanently closed, such as in Dordives (Loiret), where the public nursing home ceased operations on December 31.
Increased transparency, but insufficient response according to professionals
Minister Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq defended a desire to "bring transparency back into the system," emphasizing new obligations for institutions, particularly regarding nutrition, visitation rights, and financial traceability. A committee to combat mistreatment has been established, and the 2024 law on healthy aging imposes new quality indicators. However, for Pascal Champvert, vice-president of the AD-PA, "the state is not up to the task," and there is still a lack of resources to recruit more professionals. The challenge remains immense, and trust is difficult to rebuild.
