The French Hospital Federation (FHF) sounded the alarm this Thursday on the budgetary situation of public nursing homes. “Despite activity which continues to progress, public nursing homes are facing a massive, rapid and profound deterioration in their budgetary balances,” underlines the FHF, which brings together public hospitals and medico-social establishments, in a press release.
The Federation relies on a survey it conducted in February and March and to which more than 730 public sector nursing homes responded, accounting for more than 100,000 permanent beds. Public nursing homes represent just over 40% of the approximately 7,000 establishments in France, according to FHF data.
According to this study, nearly 85% of public nursing homes, almost double the number in 2019, recorded a deficit for the 2023 financial year, an “alarming record figure”, she deplores. However, activity continued to progress, with an average occupancy rate of 94.4% (+ 1 point over one year), after the fall recorded in 2020 and 2021 with the Covid crisis.
The impact of inflation
In relatively good health until then, nursing homes were also shaken at the beginning of 2022 by the Orpea scandal, born from the investigative book “The Gravediggers” revealing cases of mistreatment and financial embezzlement in this private group (renamed Emeis).
For deficit public nursing homes, the average deficit per place has worsened significantly, going from 3,226 euros in 2022 to 3,850 euros in 2023, according to the Federation, which highlights the impact of inflation (energy, food, etc.) . Establishments thus see their recruitment possibilities limited and investment capacities degraded, according to her.
Faced with this “critical situation”, the FHF is asking the public authorities for “a 5% increase in the care package for nursing homes” financed by Social Security and the “dependency” package coming from the departmental councils, as well as the “accommodation” rates set by the departmental councils and regulated by the residents (with possible assistance from the departments).
The objective is in particular to be able to ensure the 6,000 annual recruitments necessary in nursing homes to achieve the government commitment of 50,000 additional positions by 2030, notes the FHF. “There is an emergency” in the face of the “unprecedented demographic wave of old age”, warns the Federation.