The French population continues to age. The observation is quick, when we imagine that in 2050 more than 22.3 million people will be at least 60 years old. In short, 1 out of 3 French people will be senior and will surely need specific care. With a longer life expectancy and the inevitable impact of the « grandpa-boom », it is essential to anticipate the aging of the population to guarantee a serene and comfortable end of life.
Summary
An already insufficient reception of the elderly
At present, the population of seniors is growing and we are already seeing the limit of the current functioning. The future aging of the population will inevitably have consequences for society, so it is important that we rethink the place of seniors in such a context. It is also inevitable that the number of elderly people in a situation of dependency will also increase: the situation of EHPADs is currently very critical, as the means to properly accommodate dependent seniors are not large enough. It is therefore essential to guarantee funding commensurate with the needs and the quality of the services of these establishments.
What are CPOMs?
The CPOMs are multi-year Contracts of Objectives and Means. They replace the tripartite agreement and are concluded for a period of 5 years. It was initiated on January 1, 2017 and has since become the standard.
Tripartite agreements and CPOMs are based on the same criteria of compliance with an established financial plan and the guarantee of quality of care and care provided to the elderly in nursing homes. To find out more, it must be taken into account that the CPOM is a contract signed by the departmental council, the ARS (Regional Health Agencies) and the EHPADs. It commits the managers of all social or medico-social structures to ensure optimal care for the elderly and to accompany them on a daily basis in the best conditions.
A simpler system in the long run
The CPOM is more durable than the tripartite agreement it replaces. It promotes the simplification of administrative procedures and combines all the elements in a single contract. The aim of this simplification is to gain in efficiency and to apply the same performance in each establishment in a region. It is also a question of offering a reception in EHPAD more efficient, human and comfortable. The CPOM is composed of a part evoking the objectives and means allocated, while the second part defines the way of implementing the projects and the conditions of evaluation of a residence for dependent elderly people.
Boost the performance of establishments
The CPOM is a process of clarifying the positioning of establishments welcoming the elderly. It offers real visibility on the diversified offer of care in a territory and promotes greater efficiency in offering a path to a dependent person requiring daily care. It is also important to make better use of budgets to improve the services offered to residents. The CPOM helps to define a better strategy for the next 5 years and to select indicators in order to be able to carry out a follow-up and establish evaluation criteria. This makes it possible to judge the efficiency of the measures put in place.
The needs of EHPADs and the expectations of residents
The consequences of the aging of the French population are undeniable. The important needs of seniors are not always taken into consideration or cannot be because of a real lack of means. The more our society refuses to note this gap, the more we will be faced with the observation that our seniors are not welcomed in the right conditions. Tripartite agreements with an annualized budget have reached their limits.
Under these conditions, it was very difficult, if not impossible, to be able toengage in the modernization of existing EHPADs or plan the construction of new structures to accommodate future seniors. With the CPOM, it is now possible to define more ambitious projects in line with the growing needs in terms of medical care. To guide their projects, EHPADs have every interest in relying on the advice of a specialized firm which has in-depth knowledge of the management of health and social projects. These strategy specialists join forces with doctors, healthcare teams, but also with lawyers to optimize projects.
Improving the quality of care for seniors
The cry of alarm from residents and their families must not go unanswered. The reception of residents and the quality of care are currently suffering. It is high time to improve these points while offering a real quality of life to people placed in nursing homes. This is one of the priorities: finding a balance between care and well-being.
Residents’ needs should be the anchor of all future hospitality projects in a medical structure, and the time devoted to each resident must be greater. The rate of supervision of staff is also changing rapidly, so that we will also offer more pleasant working conditions to the nursing teams and that the reception of families will be more humane. Currently still too low, this staff-to-staff ratio reflects living conditions in EHPADs.
Poor working conditions also result from neglected reception or care that is too rapid. The dependence of residents is increasingly important, they often combine several heavy pathologies, some of which are chronic. Care services are therefore overwhelmed. It is urgent to provide financial means to EHPADs to function as well as possible.
It is also important to leave more leeway to the coordinating physician, the best adviser to establish a support project and coordinate the course in the dedicated networks. Future projects will also turn to telemedicine, which makes it possible to compensate for less serious care and promotes greater responsiveness to overwhelmed medical services. Finally, medical establishments could be mixed with residences for autonomous people, in order to promote a dynamic more inclined to mutual aid and maintain a social bond beneficial for all residents.
