Lozère nursing homes in deficit. The possibility of a planned increase in prices

One million euros in exceptional aid is the amount that the Departmental Council of Al Lozère will propose for a vote at the next plenary session on November 26. The objective is to allow the Lozère nursing homes to reduce their deficit which amounts to 3.8 million and which is not due to poor management.

Victor Lallement is director of the Ehpad la Soleiade in Collet de Dèze and departmental president of Fnadepa, the federation of nursing home directors:

We have really suffered from inflation very strongly over the last three years. In particular, we have food, we have to feed residents morning, noon and evening, electricity, gas, energy, protections which have also increased enormously, maintenance… In fact, all the stations of Expenditures have exploded and this has widened deficits because daily prices are renewed annually. The departmental councils made efforts to ensure that we had rates of change, but they could not compensate because we reached inflation levels which were enormous.

The financing model for nursing homes is currently being discussed at national and local level. Of the twenty-six nursing homes in Lozère, twenty-two are in deficit. The exceptional aid of 1 million euros is very appreciated by establishment directors, but it is not sustainable. The President of the Department, Laurent Suau, is also considering other solutions for the future, such as income-based pricing or a rate increase accommodation.

We brought in a lot of people on the price policy because we were cheap. I think we need to get away from this pattern, from this speech, to say thatwe can defend higher pricesbecause there is real care, because it is complicated to manage dependency in retirement homes, so it requires technical expertise and staff. There is a need for entertainment for these elderly people, there is a need for quality catering and comfort. PFor me, there is a real issue around the price paid in these establishments for better care.

On average, in the department, which has no lucrative private establishment, residents currently pay nearly €2,000 per month.