Residents in nursing homes for the elderly (EHPA) number 693,000 today, or 5.5% more than in 2007.
“About 10% of those 75 and over and nearly 23% of those 85 and over live in institutions for the elderly. “And, residents are older in 2011 than in 2007. More than three-quarters (78%) were 80 years or older at the end of 2011 (74% in 2007). The average age is 85 years in 2011, it was 84 years and 2 months at the end of 2007 ”, recalls the DRESS in its press release.
A largely female population
Widowed and dependent more often than men of the same age, women more often go to live in institutions. As in 2007, three quarters of residents are women.
And, their share increases with age. Thus, there are 80 women for 100 men for those under 65 living in institutions. 347 women per 100 men aged 75 or over and 504 women per 100 men aged 90 or over live in specialized establishments.
An increasingly dependent population
“Residents are more dependent in 2011 than in 2007, especially the youngest” says the DRESS. Indeed, the share of dependent among residents under the age of 70 increased by seven points during this period. At the end of 2011, 22% of residents, or 152,600 people, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or a similar disease. The majority of the youngest people (86%) need help with their toilet. And, they are just as many to suffer from consistency disorders.
The majority of exits correspond to deaths
The average length of stay has been stable since 2007: residents who left in 2011 stayed in the same establishment for two and a half years on average. 150,000 residents of institutions for the elderly died in 2011, or just over one in five residents. Deaths represent 63% of exits during the year (against 61% in 2007).
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