For lack of places, thousands of young disabled adults are taken care of in institutions for children. A possible maintenance thanks to the Creton amendment.
At 20, young adults with disabilities are expected to leave children’s institutions and be accommodated in structures adapted for adults. But the places available in these specialized institutes are sorely lacking.
Thus, since 1989, the Creton amendment allows these young people to stay in medico-social establishments and services for disabled children and adolescents while waiting for a place to become available in an adult structure. A provision which was to be temporary but which has continued until today.
According to a report from the Drees (1) published on Monday, around 6,000 young people benefit from this measure, ie 5.6% of the population of these structures (2). “They were nearly 5,000 in 2006, the date of the previous survey. Their number has therefore increased by 20% in 4 years, while the number of places in institutions for disabled children has remained stable over the same period, ”note the authors of the report.
Young people with severe disabilities
Two-thirds of these young people are 20 or 21 years old. A minority is 25 years or more, and “only a few exceptional cases (0.5%) still fall under the Creton amendment at more than 30 years”, specify the researchers. In addition, more than a third have been in their establishment for more than 10 years.
Young people affected by this provision are especially those with mild or severe mental retardation, and adults with multiple disabilities. These adults with severe disabilities are dependent on these specialized establishments. In fact, 6 out of 10 cannot read and nearly 4 out of 10 are at risk of death in the absence of constant supervision or technical assistance.
A long wait
And for these young people, leaving these establishments is all the later as their impairments are severe. They are also very few (3%) to leave these structures to work in an ordinary environment. “This low proportion corresponds to the logic of the Creton amendment which consists in waiting for a place in the specialized sector”, explains the authors.
But for some, this wait can be very long. For others, the place will never be available. In 2010, 230 people left an establishment for disabled children and returned to their homes without any care or medico-social guidance.
(1) Department of research, studies, evaluation and statistics)
(2) Figures at December 31, 2010
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