Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
According to the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention, more than half of the private establishments intended for the accommodation of dependent elderly people have dubious commercial practices. Results based on more than a thousand checks, between 2019 and 2021.
After the denunciations of the investigative book “Les Fossoyeurs” by independent journalist Victor Castanet a few months ago, it is the turn of the fraud prevention services, attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to bring to light the “fraudulent” practices of accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people.
More than one nursing home in two concerned
According to the press release from the DGCCRF, “more than one out of two establishments has at least one non-compliance“. To come to this conclusion, the DGCCRF relies on nearly a thousand checks carried out in the establishments over three years, between 2019 and 2021.
For-profit nursing homes have been particularly targeted by the controls, “due to particularly high prices and a multiplication of offers of optional services which can complicate their comparison“ justifies the DGCCRF.
“Non-existent” benefits
Indeed, to justify these prices, nursing homes are expanding their proposals for activities or care for residents. But sometimes it seems that these practices are intentional “swollen” and do not quite correspond to reality. The DGCCRF specifies that this is a “inaccurate highlighting of services, such as the existence of “therapeutic gardens” when they were simple containers for gardening, or even non-existent services, such as “multi-sensory” rooms, lounges hairdressing or podiatry services“.
Other elements, such as differences between the prices displayed and those invoiced, disadvantageous terminations for residents or even security deposits “of a disproportionate amount“, higher than the amount of the monthly rent, are pointed out by the services of the State.
Several minutes drawn up
Faced with this observation, the DGCCRF has taken measures against the “most serious cases” and announces that it has drawn up “17 minutes“concerning prices, “abusive clauses” or “unfair practices”. Finally, the organization invites all consumers concerned who encounter problems, such as “misleading claims on the terms of reception or pricing” to report them. on the site SignalConso. And finally recalls that the abuses are to be reported to the prefect of the department.