Care for Elderly Expats in France

[Bikboks]

The BBC is currently making much of the hazards of growing old and infirm after retiring abroad and talking of the poorer care avilable when compared to the services offered in the UK. They have given examples of specific cases of hardship where those concerned have regretted moving and, in one case at least, where the lady concerned has returned to the UK through the help of Age Concern.

Obviously, the BBC has chosen cases that fulfil the point they want to make but I do not think that the illustrations they gave are by any means typical for all. In any case, there are very many instances of lack of care for the elderly in the UK and poor provision for them generally.

Does anyone else have similar concerns about getting old in France? What steps can be taken to cope with this inevitability for us all, or is it no more of a problem than that of growing old in the UK?

[moonraker]

I worked in old peoples' homes for 20 years. During this time I met several Italien or Spanish "pensionnaires" (at different times) who spoke very little french, and I think they were the most unhappy people I have ever known. None of the staff spoke their language and the families didn't visit often. I'm afraid English people would have the same language problem as the nurses aides don't generally speak english and have no time to try to understand. You may find a nurse that speaks english well but there would be no time for chatting. Overworked and understaffed. I've often wondered what would happen to the elderly Brits when they can no longer look after themselves....perhaps open English speaking nursing homes.

[Val_2]

The french try and avoid putting relatives into nursing homes if they can because they end up paying for it mostly. It costs about 50€/day in our local old folks home and for most of the people here who are farmers and retired themselves they just cannot afford to send their parents to these places unless the patients have sufficient pensions and savings to cover it themselves. Therefore many of these wonderful looking retirement homes you see when out in the car are usually for the comfortably well off and not the ordinary working person. We have had several requests on the CCAS from local families asking for financial help to keep an elderly relative in the hospital and only two out of four cases merited help because there was no family money spare.

[Blanche Neige]

A lady with a large house in our village in France seems to have several elderly people in her care, in her home. She gets them up, feeds them, puts them to bed etc.. It looks like a wonderful set-up but I have no idea what people would pay for a service like this.

[Patf]

We've thought about this subject, being both retired and for the moment fairly fit. But we've always intended that when the inevitable deterioration starts we will go back to the UK. The main reasons being language, as someone has already mentioned, and absence of a family network here. I recently had a short stay in hospital and managed the language ok but it wasn't easy, and husband isn't fluent. So I hope and pray that we manage to return before the rot sets in! Pat.

[Rob Roy]

This story has been running on the BBC Breakfast show, and from what I gathered it was highlighting people who have moved abroad and thought they should be entitled to the same benefits, particularly carer's benefit, as they would get if they still lived in the UK. They felt these should be paid from the UK as they had previously paid their taxes and NI there.  I noticed that all those interviewed that I have seen are at present living in Tenerife, or other parts of Spain, and now face having to return to the UK as they cannot manage on their own any more.