2023-06-11 16:29:07
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A few hundred establishments are accused by the Directorate for the repression of fraud of having abused the elderly on the services which have been invoiced to them.
In France, 40% of senior residences are, for the most part, suspected of deception. This is the result of a survey carried out by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) which screened 256 establishments. A few hundred establishments are therefore in violation, according to this report unveiled by the Sunday newspaper which will be published on Monday.
Among the ten abuses identified, one example comes up very frequently: deception on the services billed to the elderly. In concrete terms, residences did not properly inform consumers about the services offered. The investigators thus noted, on websites or communication media, that certain structures presented themselves, wrongly, as medical establishments. “This is not the vocation of the vast majority of residences which welcome autonomous people looking for security and conviviality. Some surely play the medical card to reassure“, explains to Figaro a professional in the sector, who requested anonymity. “The senior residence makes it possible to preserve this notion of home, with keys, rent, as well as shared spaces where we find social ties.“, he adds, recalling that senior residences do not benefit from public funding, unlike nursing homes.
Overcharged services
Other residences, pinned down by Bercy, have lied about the quality of service by mentioning the 24-hour presence of a security guard, a balneotherapy area or a gym that do not yet exist. Another example: fees are charged if the elderly use a universal service employment check which is used, among other things, to declare and pay for home help. Added to this is the promise of a tax credit for residents on the provision of personal services, while residences do not meet the required conditions.
The good news ? It seems that following checks by the tax authorities, “a great majority» of the establishments concerned have quickly brought themselves into compliance. As a reminder, a company recognized for deception against an individual risks two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros, according to the Consumer Code (article L132-2). «Hopefully this report will not bring shame on the whole industryreacts this expert. The market for senior residences is still very little known, associated with nursing homes in the minds of most French people.“The shadow of the “Orpea” affair, pinned down in early 2022 by the publication of a book-investigation (Les Fossoyeurs, by Victor Castanet) which notably had the effect of multiplying checks in nursing homes in France, is still on everyone’s mind.
Despite the presence of historical players (Domitys, Les Hespérides, Les Sénioriales, etc.), the model must today “adapt to the needs of the new generation arriving – and will arrive – in our residences (openness to the outside, anchoring in the city, sporting and cultural activities, etc.), specifies this same manager. The number of seniors (over 60) should increase from 15 to 20 million by 2030, the vast majority living independently.
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