The French Hospital Federation (FHF) sounded the alarm this Thursday about the budgetary situation in public nursing homes. “Despite continuing operations, public nursing homes are facing a massive, rapid and profound deterioration in their budgetary balance,” the FHF, which brings together public hospitals and health care institutions, emphasizes in a press release.
The federation is relying on a survey it conducted in February and March, to which more than 730 public nursing homes, representing more than 100,000 permanent beds, responded. Public nursing homes make up just over 40% of the approximately 7,000 facilities in France, according to the FHF.
According to that study, nearly 85% of state nursing homes, nearly double the number in 2019, posted deficits in fiscal year 2023, an “alarming record high,” she lamented. However, activity continued to rise with an average occupancy rate of 94.4% (+1 point year-on-year) after the drop recorded in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid crisis.
Impact of inflation
In early 2022, nursing homes, which were in relatively good health, were also rocked by the Orpeia scandal, sparked by the investigative book Gravediggers, which exposed abuse and financial waste at the private group (renamed Ameys).
According to the Federation, in public nursing homes with a deficit, the average deficit per place has increased significantly: from €3,226 in 2022 to €3,850 in 2023, highlighting the impact of inflation (energy, food, etc.). According to her, thus, enterprises see their ability to hire staff limited and investment opportunities degraded.
Faced with this “critical situation,” FHF is asking government agencies to “increase by 5% the care package for nursing homes financed by Social Security and the dependency package coming from department boards, as well as the “accommodation rates” set by by departmental councils and regulated by residents (with the possible assistance of departments).
The aim is, in part, to meet the annual 6,000 staff required in care homes to meet the government’s commitment to create 50,000 additional positions by 2030, FHF said. “There is an emergency” in the face of an “unprecedented demographic wave of old age,” the Federation warns.
Source: Le Parisien
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