On September 22, French President, Emmanuel Macron announced during his visit to an “EPHAD” (nursing home establishments for aged and dependent individuals) that a bill for the elderly is being planned for the beginning of 2021.
The advisory phase called the “Laroque of Autonomy”, is named after the resistance fighter, Pierre Laroque, known as the founder of “Social Security” or the French National Health Insurance Program in 1945.
Although the bill has previously been postponed several times, it has now been put on the fast-track due to the current health crisis. In his statement, President Macron said: “This virus has sometimes reminded us that we must cope with death and vulnerability, and it has shown us that we are more vulnerable at a certain age. It has led us to acknowledge that our population is aging. This means our response has to be adjusted.”
In recent months the problem of the elderly being isolated, and the difficulties for those who take care of them in the EHPAD’s, have been brought to the forefront. Following a parliamentary investigation led by MP, Eric Ciotti, a report evaluating the management and consequences of the coronavirus crisis was published on August 28th.
During the early stages of the pandemic, Alliance VITA issued a press release to warn that many elderly persons were facing discrimination. Due to the lack of resources in some medical facilities, the elderly were potentially being exposed to a greater risk of euthanasia.
