In France, the issue of retirement homes has become a subject of collective anxiety. According to the Observatory “How old?” led by Zenior, 73% of French people do not trust either public or private actors in old age. A dizzying figure, which reflects a deep unease in the face of aging, dependence… and the structures supposed to support them.
This distrust does not fall from the sky. It has been built over the years, fueled by scandals, the health crisis and a widespread feeling of abandonment of families at a time when everything is at stake.
Why do EHPADs inspire so much distrust?
Recent revelations on certain practices, notably those highlighted by
The Gravediggershave permanently damaged the image of retirement homes. Today, 8 out of 10 French people say they have a negative image of them, and less than one in twenty consider them to be a fully satisfactory solution to support the loss of autonomy.
For David Jacquet, specialist in the sector, this rejection is above all a collective feeling: “The exact number doesn’t matter. Whether it is 60, 70 or 73%, what matters is the massive negative sentiment in the population. And it’s undeniable.”
A paradox persists, however, according to the expert, director of Selection Retirement Homes: “People who live in EHPADs often have a much more positive perception than those who have never set foot there”he emphasizes.
Many residents do not recognize the catastrophic image conveyed outside.
A model under tension, but still essential
Contrary to popular belief, the EHPAD is not an outdated solution.
“We often say that the EHPAD is over. But in reality, there is nothing to replace it on a large scale”says David Jacquet.
Alternatives (shared housing, innovative residences, hybrid solutions) exist, but remain marginal, expensive and incapable of absorbing the demographic shock. The aging of the population is accelerating, while the opening of new structures stagnates, due to lack of approvals and funding.
Another major development: we now enter EHPAD much later, with much heavier levels of dependency.
“EHPADs are not care establishments, but support establishments. However, today we welcome people there with seven or eight pathologies, without human resources keeping up.”
Result: constant pressure on teams, high costs, and a structural crisis set to worsen.
Families often alone, in urgency and guilt
But the real black spot in the system remains the journey of families.
In the majority of cases, the search for an EHPAD is done at the last moment: fall, hospitalization, sudden worsening of health. You have to decide quickly, with little information, few choices… and a lot of emotions.
“Faced with prices and offers, many wait until the last day”illustrates David Jacquet.
But in this case, each month of waiting can cost several thousand euros, and drastically reduce the available options.
The financial question weighs heavily: between 80 and 120 euros per day, the remainder often exceeds retirement pensions. This discrepancy explains both the hesitations, the family tensions and the anxiety of “making a mistake”.
How to choose an EHPAD in a more informed way?
Despite this difficult context, there are guidelines to make a more confident choice. The director of Select Retirement Homes, whose mission is to visit EHPADs, mentions several essentials:
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Do not limit yourself to a single criterion
Families generally look at three things:
- Geographic proximity;
- The price;
- Public or private status.
This is a starting point, but insufficient when several options exist.
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Always visit the establishments
This is even the key advice: “You have to go see. One, two, sometimes three establishments. Feel the atmosphere, observe the living spaces, the catering, the state of the rooms, the welcome. To leave nothing to chance.
Establishments accept visits by appointment, and this is often where the difference is made.
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Understand that not all structures are the same
Public, private or associative, each EHPAD has its own reality. The private sector represents around 22% of the stock, the association as much, and the public almost half, with often long waiting lists.
“The choice also depends on means and expectations. Some families will favor the setting, the environment, the standing. Others will make a more constrained choice. Both are legitimate.”
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Anticipate as much as possible
Planning in advance which establishment to go to is not necessarily in the order of things. But anticipating, finding out about the possibilities, allows you to keep control of the decision, rather than having to endure it.
Choosing a retirement home today requires time, information and, above all, reliable support. It is on this condition that the transition to an EHPAD can once again become what it should be: not a failure or a rupture, but a chosen, understood and supervised stage of life.