TESTIMONY: “Whether public or private, EHPADs, there is not one that catches up with the other” according to the daughter of a resident in the Var

Victor Castanet, author of the book-investigation Les Fossoyeurs, caused an explosion by denouncing abuse in private EHPADs and tongues are loosening. A resident’s daughter recounts her struggle to assert her mother’s rights.

Her name is Celine. A 37-year-old young woman from Var, a lawyer converted to home help and psychocorporal support. She gives her testimony, inevitably painful.

His mother, Monique, 77 years old today, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The diagnosis was made ten years ago. She also has pheart problems, she then lives in the Paris region. We are in 2013. She will change her place of life to move near her daughter, in a service residence, these apartments designed for independent seniors who want to continue to live independently while enjoying a secure environment.

It was in 2016 that mother and daughter agreed that accommodation in an EHPAD was the most suitable. It will be in a public establishment in the Var center. Monique will stay there for a little over two years.

I trust at first, but I quickly see my mother’s cognitive abilities and motor skills diminishing, there are major communication difficulties with the teams, my mother is the victim of verbal aggression and threats from a another resident, my emails remain unanswered…

Céline, daughter of a resident

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Céline, who wants the best for her mother, brings in outside contributors to stimulate her, and she refers to law no. 2002-2 of January 2, 2002 renovating social and medico-social action. It requires the creation ofa personalized support project within 6 months of the resident’s arrival.

“The role of professionals consists, among other things, of listening, understanding and/or helping the person received, expressing their expectations and, if they wish, building, with them, the framework of a welcome and a singular accompaniment. All the professionals will have to implement the personalized project to offer quality accompaniment that is respectful and adapted to the uniqueness of each resident”.

And the support project, that is to say a personalized “roadmap” project for the medical teams, she explains that she is still waiting for it. She will find that her mother then takes a long-term powerful neuroleptic prescribed by the coordinating doctor of the establishment. It does not correspond in any way to the prescriptions of the attending physician. She will send letters to the ARS (Regional Health Agency) and to the Order of Physicians. The ARS will recognize a “dysfunction in the drug circuit”.

Second EHPAD, same observation. We are in January 2020 in a private establishment of a large group this time in the center of Var. Here again, for Monique, no support project, little or no dialogue with the management to bring in outside contributors (kinesiologist, art therapist, sophrologist) and very bad news: she is suffering from an eventration observed when she will leave 11 months later, a consequence, according to his doctor, of muscle wasting following malnutrition.

Now, since April 2021, Monique has been living in a private family nursing home. This time again, Céline notices that her mother is being given medication without informing her and without being in contact with the attending physician. An occupational therapist who wants to remain anonymous intervenes punctually in the establishment because Monique, like all Alzheimer’s patients, needs stimulation for memory and spatio-temporal landmarks.

We talk about stimulation, autonomy. However, everything is done so that the person does not progress but regresses. You have to go quickly for meals, Monique is confined to secure spaces, which makes her lose even more autonomy. There is the disease, of course, but there is also a significant loss in the quality of life.

Conclusion: three nursing homes, and many dysfunctions.

The worst ? It is the refusal to do things right. I send the articles of law on the obligations of the establishments, I just ask them to do their job. There is a lack of accountability. The support project dates from 20 years ago, they don’t know what it is.

Céline, daughter of a resident

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As for the cost, it ranges from simple to double, between 1700 and 3470 euros.

We feel helpless, frankly. We feel like we’re just good to pay, and just because it’s more expensive doesn’t mean it’s better.

Céline, daughter of a resident

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Céline affirms it, she does not despair of finding the rare pearl. An establishment where dialogue would be open. To establish a real project for his mother, so that she retains her autonomy, motor skills and joie de vivre for as long as possible.

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