Ehpad: significant disparities in terms of prices and places depending on the region

After the Orpéa affair, which shook the world of private nursing homes, the UFC Que Choisir took an interest in public nursing homes.

Disparities in places and prices

According to a study just revealed by the Union, there are very large regional disparities in the number of places available in these establishments. If on average, there are 102 places per 1000 inhabitants over 75, there are large differences between departments. For example, in the department of Lozère, there are 169 places available for 1,000 inhabitants over the age of 75, when there are only 41 in Paris.

The prices of the said places are also very variable. A retiree from the Meuse will pay 1,749 euros per month, while an elderly person from the Rhône, Alpes-Maritimes or Bouches-du-Rhône will have to pay nearly 2,600 euros, or 1,000 euros more per month. Unsurprisingly, for Paris, we will practically reach 3,700 euros, or 2,000 euros more than the inhabitant of the Meuse. On average, the price of a place is estimated at 2214 euros per month by UFC Que Choisir.

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Public/private competition

These price differences are explained by competition with private structures, which often offer more, more expensive places. These establishments are particularly numerous in the departments mentioned, such as Bouches-du-Rhône, where the private sector holds 64% of the places available.

An “addiction shield”

For the Union, several measures should be put in place. In particular, it calls for the creation of a “dependency shield”, financed by national solidarity, which would allow the creation of places in nursing homes in the public sector as a priority. And that each public Ehpad has the obligation to offer enough places in this context. Finally, concerning the private sector, the UFC Que Choisir proposes the capping of prices in the private sector.

A combination of measures that would allow each senior who finds himself in a situation of dependency to find a place at a suitable rate. These measures are all the more urgent as the number of dependent elderly people continues to increase over time in France. It is estimated that it will reach four million in 2050.