An inspection of EHPADs “ Begonias » et « Voltaire Garden » was jointly carried out by the services of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and those of the Departmental Council last May. We learned that the findings made by the inspection teams revealed serious dysfunctions, and that the complaints expressed by families (some of which were heard during this inspection) were well taken into account by the services of the ARS and the Departmental Council.
According to our information, a joint letter presenting the inspection report and the corrective measures requested from the management of EPCAPA was sent at the beginning of September to the manager as well as to the director of the two establishments. At the end of the adversarial procedure, if the responses provided by the manager and the management of EPCAPA are not considered satisfactory with regard to the conditions of reception and support of residents, the ARS, in full agreement with the President of the Departmental Council, plans to take an administrative police measure.
We also learned that the services of the ARS and the Departmental Council jointly contacted the services of the Departmental Directorate of Employment, Labor and Solidarity of Côte-d'Or, concerning a collective situation of psychosocial risks incurred. by all employees of both structures.
The alarm signal has been ringing for several months now
The relocation of the Port du Canal and Marguerites EHPADs in mid-January 2024, to the site of the former Terrot factory, and their merger to form “ The Gardens of Voltaire – Paulette Guinchard », had revealed significant latent problems in the three Dijon EHPADs, placed under the responsibility of the municipal public establishment, EPCAPA, as recalled by the Agir pour Dijon Group on February 8, 2024.
Most recently, in May 2024, an alleged case of abuse allegedly took place at the “Jardins de Voltaire” in Dijon : an 87-year-old person was allegedly slapped, and an employee was suspended pending clarification of this matter. This affair caused quite a stir!
The AFRED Association reacted to the announcement of this inspection: “ The Association welcomes the joint inspections of the ARS and the Department of Côte-d'Or on May 15 and 16, 2024 concerning all the dysfunctions and mistreatment in the municipal public EHPADs of the City of Dijon, where our poor elders suffer perfectly inhumane treatment! Obviously, the AFRED Association will always be alongside families and residents, and the fight will continue until a normal situation is established. The perpetrators of this mistreatment will have to answer for their actions before the courts, which have already been seized. The Association remains attentive to families and residents ([email protected]). » The results of this inspection confirm that the AFRED Association, which denounced serious dysfunctions, was right. No one can say the opposite today.
It now remains to be seen what measures will be taken by the management of EPCAPA to rectify the situation in the face of these serious dysfunctions. Frédéric PLUCHOT, Director of EPCAPA, further states in the director's note on the EPCAPA website : « Rest assured that all the staff who surround you and support you on a daily basis mobilize their know-how, their professionalism and all their attention to ensure that your living conditions are as pleasant and safe as possible, in a spirit of serenity, conviviality and maintaining autonomy. Do not hesitate to send us your comments and suggestions; they will be valuable to us to further improve your reception and stay conditions ».
These words from the director seem out of place, dare we say it, in view of the current situation. It remains to be hoped that it will take into account the comments and suggestions of the ARS and the Departmental Council. To be continued!
