Right of visit to nursing homes, professional home help card... The Senate votes on Tuesday a range of measures on
"aging well"
, but is concerned about the vague timetable of the major autonomy law promised by the government.
Debated in recent days in the hemicycle, the bill to
“build the society of aging well in France”
is on track to be widely adopted by senators, after the National Assembly in November.
Examined since mid-April by deputies then suspended on several occasions, this text, certainly consensual, nevertheless summarizes all the government's difficulties in the old age sector, from promise to promise and from postponement to postponement.
Promised by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron at the start of his first five-year term, the presentation of a multi-year programming law on autonomy is still being awaited by professionals in the sector.
“I am committed to ensuring that such a law is presented to you. You are free to believe me or not, but I cannot be clearer: the arbitration has been made, the commitment is made. I would almost go so far as to tattoo it on my skin, if that were all it took to convince you!”
, had launched the former Minister of Solidarity Aurore Bergé to the attention of deputies at the end of November.
“Legislative UFO”
Two months later, with a new government and a new minister, Catherine Vautrin, the executive's words are less clear: Prime Minister Gabriel Attal did not mention this text in his general policy speech to Parliament and Ms. Vautrin explained that it was awaiting an opinion from the Council of State, scheduled for Thursday.
“I have serious concerns regarding the comments made by the minister. Nothing guarantees this commitment
,” regretted socialist senator Corinne Féret.
“In my opinion, the old age law is what is being presented to us here”
, feared the rapporteur LR Jean Sol, all the same inviting us to adopt this proposed law on
“aging well”
. that it
“only partially responds to the issues”
.
The situation has even created a
“sort of legislative UFO”
according to the communist Céline Brulin: in fact, the text on
“aging well”
itself refers to this multi-annual law on old age by requiring the government to present before the end of 2024. A provision that many consider symbolic and non-binding.
However, other strong measures appear in the text and were validated by the senators, with the creation of a professional card to facilitate the recognition of the work of home workers, or the inclusion in the law of the right of visit in nursing homes, after the trauma of many families during the Covid-19 crisis.
Dogs and cats in nursing homes?
The text also provides for the creation of a departmental autonomy service with a view to
“decompartmentalizing”
policies in favor of the elderly and people with disabilities.
A system for reporting cases of mistreatment is also planned.
Another new feature is a support fund for departments, amounting to 100 million euros, so that they can contribute to the transport costs of home help professionals, including to finance the obtaining of their driving license.
Relatively commented on, a measure introduced in the Assembly to protect the right of residents in nursing homes to welcome their pet, desired by numerous associations, was very attenuated in the Senate, which chose to leave control to the establishments.
“I thought I fell out of my chair... Guaranteeing such a right would pose many problems: hygiene, allergies, phobias, compatibility between animals
,” worried Senator Daniel Chasseing (Radical Party), for example.
After the probable adoption of the text in the Senate, deputies and senators will try to find a compromise text during a joint joint committee (CMP).
This will not be an easy task because the Senate deleted almost half of the articles resulting from the examination of the deputies, such as this provision which aimed to oblige private nursing homes to devote a fraction of their profits to improving well-being. be their residents.