Six months after the protest movement of EHPAD staff, the Ministry of Health announced numerous measures to help these establishments better cope with the aging of the population. Here is his roadmap.
Today, 1.5 million people are over 85 years old in France. “In 2050, they will be 4.8 million,” the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday May 30 in a press release. Also, in order to cope as best as possible with the aging of the population, Agnès Buzyn presented her “roadmap” to “immediately improve the quality of life of the elderly and anticipate the loss of autonomy”. Almost six months after the demonstrations of professionals in the sector in several French cities, the Minister of Solidarity and Health has put forward numerous measures to help EHPADs (accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people).
“143 million additional euros”
In detail, the latter should receive “143 million additional euros” to the 217 million already planned between 2019 to 2021 in order to recruit nursing staff, announced the Minister of Health. And, in order to strengthen the medical presence at night and reduce “avoidable emergency hospitalizations”, a “penalty nurses “pooled between several establishments will be generalized, she promised. With 10 million euros, this measure already voted in the 2018 Social Security financing law will be ratified next year and that of after.
In addition, 40 million euros will be given to EHPADs between 2018 and 2022 in order to generalize access to telemedicine to limit travel and improve the quality of medical monitoring. Especially in the medical deserts. Agnès Buzyn also announced an investment plan of 100 million euros to “modernize” the oldest establishments.
What is more, to reduce hospital stays and facilitate patient returns home, “while maintaining them in a secure environment with the presence of caregivers”, 1000 places of temporary accommodation in EHPAD will be financed to the tune of 15 million euros by health insurance next year for people leaving the hospital, the press release noted.
Finally, in order to support professionals increasingly frustrated by the lack of resources, “the Quality of Life at Work Commission installed at the end of 2017 has proposed an action plan that will mobilize 16 million euros for the improvement of the premises, the training in the management of the framework, the acquisition of materials relieving the personnel… “, it is specified.
“The insufficiency of the State’s commitment”
These announcements come six months after the strike movement of staff at the bedside of the elderly which took place all over France. In January, hundreds of professionals in the sector marched at the call of a large inter-union (CGT, CFDT, FO, Unsa, CFTC, CFE-CGC and SUD) in various cities to demand more resources in order to be able to s ‘occupy “with dignity” retirees.
On this occasion, the demonstrators demanded the application of a ratio of one agent per resident, against 0.6 on average currently, and the abrogation of a controversial reform voted under the Holland five-year term. While the latter plans to gradually converge until 2023 the allocations to EHPAD public and private, many health professionals fear job cuts and “a loss of revenue of 200 million euros for public establishments”, according to the French Hospital Federation (FHF).
Today, following the announcements of the Ministry of Health, the Association of Directors in the Service of the Elderly (AD-PA) welcomed in a press release “great ambitions” but deplored that “the release of 143 million euros does not compensate for the abolition of assisted contracts”. “The mention of caregivers is welcome, but the devices mentioned and the revaluation of salaries is not addressed, neither quantified nor financed, which clearly shows the insufficiency of the State’s commitment”, is he also written.
According to figures from the Ministry of Health, nearly 600,000 people currently live in one of the French nursing homes and 400,000 people work there.
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