Un an après le scandale Orpea, à l’Ehpad La Chêneraie de Bordeaux, « on n’a jamais compris de quoi nous étions accusés »
A At the same time, a year ago, the doors of La Chêneraie, like those of all the nursing homes of the Orpea group, were closed. Management order. It was necessary to leave the residents, the families in peace, far from the noise and the fury caused by the release of the book…
A At the same time, a year ago, the doors of La Chêneraie, like those of all the nursing homes of the Orpea group, were closed. Management order. It was necessary to leave the residents, the families in peace, far from the noise and the fury caused by the release of the book-investigation by Victor Castanet, “Les Fossoyeurs” at Fayard.
In Bordeaux-Caudéran, La Chêneraie is an Orpea flagship, winner in 2017 of the third national Quality Trophies prize, as part of the annual internal competition for the group’s establishments. So, when in “Les Fossoyeurs” emerge testimonies of dysfunctions within the very chic Chêneraie, the doors, the faces and the mouths are closed. Until Monday, January 23, two days before the publication in pocket format of “Gravediggers”, the same investigation enriched with ten unpublished chapters (1).
Séverine Rioux is the brand new director of La Chêneraie. Appointed last week, she entered it seven years ago. “I still haven’t understood the accusations made by Victor Castanet’s book,” she begins. And then first of all, we never met him! »
“I still haven’t understood the accusations made by Victor Castanet’s book”
However, in the book-investigation, Carmen Menjivar, director of the Bordeaux nursing home between 2008 and 2014, testifies in detail on the brutality of the managerial practices of the group, but also on the policy of rationing of hygienic protections, food in particular. Séverine Rioux knows this, but shrugs her shoulders: “I arrived after he left, and for seven years, I haven’t seen anything like this. »
Doing the best, or “much better”
“I didn’t see anything,” she continues. The whole team was stunned by these accusations, the families questioned us, they were shocked, not recognizing our establishment in these accusations. » La Chêneraie seduces, the spacious rooms are nicely decorated, jazzy music floats in the corridors, everything is clean, controlled, even refined, the “luxury hotel services” reassure families, in addition you can install with his cat or his dog.
The average age of the residents flirts with 90 years. In the medical office, a doctor has just been recruited, she sorts files with Cécile, a nurse at La Chêneraie since… “2008, she says. And I can tell you, we’ve never rationed anyone here. Nor deprived residents of sanitary protection. At my level, I saw nothing. On a fact at best. But I speak at my level. “Yes,” adds the director, placing her hand above her head, “all that happened in the upper echelons of the Orpea group.” »
So, La Chêneraie has always “done the best”, but now, according to Séverine Rioux, La Chêneraie is doing “much, much better”. And adds the director: “Despite everything, “Les Fossoyeurs” was a blessing in disguise. Because after the general assembly of the group, shortcomings were denounced, and everywhere qualitative and quantitative efforts were made, everywhere. »
In summary, the questioning of Orpea generated the hiring of an additional nurse at La Chêneraie, a third post of cook, two nursing assistants, now constituted as a school, and not only on the job. , thanks to the system of validation of achievements, and two other nursing auxiliaries on professional training contracts. Added to this improvement is a 35% increase in the cost of purchases. If the residents lacked nothing before “Les Fossoyeurs”, they will now be entitled to extra money. “Yes finally, admits Séverine Rioux. Thanks to this increase, we now buy organic, labeled and non-frozen fresh French meat, fresh fruits and vegetables from local partners. ” Thanks WHO ?
At snack time, it’s homemade brownie, fruit and dairy products
They are called Henriette, Nicole, Jeanine, Paulette, first names from the past, and are seated around Yannick, an external speaker, to take part in the pottery workshop. Make something, one of which claims it’s a turtle, the other a hat, or a bump. No matter, the main thing is to make it, to talk nonsense, to tease Yannick, to have fun with Corinne, the host of the Ehpad.
If they are here? “We would be better off at home,” dares one. “I couldn’t stand my legs anymore, my children aren’t going to spend their time picking me up!” So here? “If you have a fart in the way, don’t count on having broth brought to you. “And in the evening, the herbal tea, we can wait for it!” “. The director hears this and corrects: “The herbal tea is every evening, I want it, I’ll check…”
At snack time, the homemade cake of the day prepared by chef Frédérick is a chocolate brownie. And apprentice potters are greedy. With apple juice please, and a dairy product in addition… Enough to hold until the soup.