Orpea, which manages 1,100 establishments around the world including 220 Ehpad in France, has been under fire from critics since the publication of the book The Gravediggers (Ed. Fayard) two months ago. But he will also have trouble with the law. After a report commissioned from Igas and the IGF on the operation of the group, the State seized the public prosecutor concerning the management of the Ephad group.
In an interview at Figaro, Philippe Charrier, CEO of Orpea, recognizes certain malfunctions and apologizes to the residents and their families. But he believes that Orpea did not break the law. “We take note of the minister’s decision to send the report to the public prosecutor. This will allow us to express ourselves when the time comes, to assert our rights, to collaborate with justice. We regret that the final report is neither made public nor made available to stakeholders. It makes it possible to conclude that there is no organized system at Orpea that would lead to mistreatment”.
In The Gravediggers, the independent journalist Victor Castanet, who investigated the group of retirement homes and private clinics Orpea for three years, accused the group of setting up “institutional abuse” towards its residents. Accusations that the CEO of the group endeavors to deny at Figaro based on the Igas and IGF report: “In this respect, the most shocking allegations in Victor Castanet’s book are undermined: the rationing of urinary protection is not proven. The report clearly states that our prevention of pressure ulcers is not an issue: only 3.4% of residents wear pressure ulcer dressings, this is a moderate rate. He notes that 82% of our nursing homes have a coordinating doctor, while the national average is 67%, ”he says.