France Faces Critical Shortage in Elderly Care Ahead of Delayed ‘Grand âge’ Plan

France is grappling with a severe shortage of nursing home places and personnel as the elderly population swiftly rises, underscoring urgent challenges in the elderly care sector. According to Romain Gizolme, director of the Association of Directors for the Elderly (AD-PA), political leaders can no longer overlook the crisis in nursing homes (Ehpad), with staffing shortfalls and lack of available places worsening year by year.

A recent Drees study projects that by 2046, France’s population aged over 60 will surge to 23 million from 18 million in 2021. This demographic shift requires the creation of 365,000 new nursing home places and the recruitment of between 150,000 and 200,000 additional care workers both in nursing homes and home care settings. Failure to address these demands threatens service quality and worker well-being, as staff already face high workplace accident rates and rising sick leave.

Despite commitments, fewer than half of the 50,000 promised new hires in elderly care from the 2022 presidential campaign have been fulfilled. Gizolme stresses that elderly care must become a focal political priority well before 2030 to meet growing needs.

Compounding the crisis, the much-anticipated “Grand âge” plan designed to tackle these issues has been postponed again, originally scheduled for presentation on February 12. This delay highlights persistent obstacles in policy execution and poses a setback for seniors' care initiatives.

The Drees study further estimates that by 2050 nearly 4 million elderly people in France will experience loss of autonomy, nearly doubling from just over 2 million in 2015. This will intensify pressure on health and social services, demanding urgent political action and resource allocation.

The ongoing demographic pressures and political hesitations reflect a critical moment for France’s elderly care system, demanding swift reforms to ensure adequate capacity and workforce for the future aging population.