Bill "Aging and Autonomy": the ambitious reform will have to wait

According to INSEE, nearly 4 million elderly people will be in a state of loss of autonomy by 2050. To face this major societal challenge, the government brought forward the bill "Aging and Autonomy," recently renamed "Solidarity Generations." Although classified as a priority, this reform was ultimately abandoned.

The promises of the bill "Aging and Autonomy"

The bill was based on three pillars: enabling dependent individuals due to old age or disability to remain at home, the modernization of nursing homes, and the establishment of alternative housing solutions.

A "home care shift"

Considering the desire of many dependent individuals to continue living at home, the "home care shift" focused on supporting family caregivers and enhancing the professional roles in the sector.
An improvement in jobs assisting dependent individuals both in nursing homes and at home regarding salaries, as well as in training, diplomas, and recruitment.

Placement in institutions: from the norm to the exception

If the initiated "home care shift" implied a reduction in the number of positions to be created in institutions, the bill aimed to revamp and modernize existing nursing homes.
The bill "Aging" also discussed the development of alternative housing forms.

A third way: the development of alternative housing

In the bill purposefully renamed "Solidarity Generations," the emphasis was on intergenerational cohabitation. Its goal was to combat senior isolation by, for example, welcoming a student, housing the elderly with a paid family host, or further developing inclusive housing.
But this ambitious reform will ultimately be abandoned.

The major reform of dependency postponed indefinitely

No major reform therefore, but some proposals have been "integrated" into other tools.

The abandonment of the ambitious bill

During his speech on July 12, 2021, Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that dependency would be among the major issues of the fall, mentioning the "great humanist ambition" owed to seniors. However, in September, the Prime Minister announced the abandonment of the bill "Solidarity Generations."

However, some of the proposals have been included in the Ségur of health and in the recently adopted 2022 Social Security Funding Bill (PLFSS 2022).

Ségur of health and PLFSS 2022

The Ségur of health agreements confirmed the salary increase for professionals in health establishments and nursing homes, which also benefit from an investment plan.
Finally, the "aging" component of PLFSS 2022 allocates 240 million euros to home support services and establishes a national "floor rate" of 22 euros per hour for these services.