Protect without isolating, this is the watchword for people who live in retirement homes and who should not be deprived of end-of-year celebrations. However, on the ground, the message is struggling to get across and some residents will not be able to spend Christmas with their families.
Since the beginning of the week, Brigitte Bourguignon, the Deputy Minister in charge of Autonomy, has been touring the media to remind the instructions within the nursing homes. According to the Association of Managers in the Service of the Elderly, problems have been recorded in 200 to 400 of the 7,000 Ephads in the France.
Bruno Gaboriau is the director of an Ephad in Essarts-en-Bocage, Vendée and, in his establishment, government recommendations are applied to the letter. However, there are no additional measures, such as isolating a resident in his room after an outing.
” There is what is called common law, that is to say that residents have the same rights as all French citizens, reminds Bruno Gaboriau. There is no particular constraint. I used to jokingly tell the teams that the only thing residents are not allowed to do is go to a nightclub since they are closed. If residents go for a Christmas dinner with their families, they are encouraged to get tested and their families. “
The possibility for nursing homes to impose additional measures
The director of an Ephad in Essarts-en-Bocage specifies that residents have been reminded to pay attention to children because in their opinion today, the danger is there at Christmas time.
” The doctors have recommended us not to put in place more restrictive measures than the recommendations they had addressed to us, but afterwards the directors have full latitude to make such and such a decision and some are more cautious or fearful than others. , that is a reality “, Believes Bruno Gaboriau.
Private residents of Christmas holidays
Marie, who lives in the Loire, will not be able to get her mother out of her retirement home to celebrate Christmas with the family: one test before leaving, two on return, and above all three days confined in her room, without a visit. This is the price to pay to spend Christmas with the family. So Marie gave up on bringing her mother to her house for a simple snack. Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, vaccinated and tested, were impatiently awaiting it.
” It’s more than disappointment, it’s a huge heartache because at that age it might be their last Christmas. So yes we will go see her, but it’s not the same. “
For families, it’s sometimes misunderstanding
In some retirement homes, the measures are even stricter. The quarantine on return can last up to seven days, contrary to government recommendations. But it is the directors of Ephad who have the last word.
” It is really unworthy in view of the recommendations of Brigitte Bourguignon, considers Marie. The directors do what they want to do a little bit and that’s incomprehensible. We are really in an institutional mistreatment which is no longer possible. We really have a lot of anger. “
Employees of the Ephad where Mary’s mother lives will be able to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. They will just have to be tested when they return from leave or prolonged absence.
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