On September 8, 2022, Emmanuel Macron created a new body called the National Council for Refoundation. Following its founding, various counseling branches were opened in October. Among them, the CNR Santé or the CNR on the end of life. During these councils, citizens, social partners and elected officials all discuss measures to adopt to improve the condition of the sector in question.
For example, the National Health Refoundation Council would make it possible to debate the plan to adopt to save public hospitals, currently in the midst of a crisis. Most of these councils are due to end at the beginning of April 2023 and should herald future measures and bills in each of the sectors that have been the subject of a Council.
Three structures are therefore proposed for these Councils. We have just introduced you to the Thematic Councils, “thematic workshops [that] will reflect on the great transitions of our time by bringing together all the relevant actors”. There are also Plenary Councils chaired by Emmanuel Macron or the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, every three to six months. Finally, the Territorial Councils make it possible to discuss subjects that concern all French people, such as health or school, but in the form of “territorial consultations”. Among the Thematic Councils, some are already closed and others are still ongoing. This is the case of the Council on the “factory of aging well”. But then what is it?
Faced with the observation of demographic transition, the National Council for Refoundation on Aging Well was launched last October by Jean-Christophe Combe, Minister of Solidarity. Indeed, in France, we notice a drop in the birth rate, and therefore, an aging of the population. INSEE notes that in 2022, 723,000 births are recorded in France, “i.e. 15,000 fewer births than in 2021”. This equates to a birth rate equal to 10.6 per 1000 population. This natural deficit in birth rates continues to decline, which leads to an increase in aging populations in France. Indeed, in the population projections for 2070, INSEE specifies that we will be 68.1 million inhabitants, 29% of whom will be people aged 65 or over.
The question of aging well therefore arises and requires an action plan for the future. The government website mentions that in 2030 already, “a third of the French population will be over 60 years old and those over 65 will then outnumber those under 15”. This finding leads the Board to develop a plan based on three main priorities:
It is thus a question of improving services which have just been set up or of promoting new ones. What measures are already known?
First measure that should arrive by 2024: MaPrimeAdapt’ aid. This premium already presented by the government should make it possible to finance housing renovation projects to adapt it to the loss of autonomy. Adeline Lorence, retired journalist for the magazine Capital, explains that this bonus, based on the conditions of resources, would be available on January 1, 2024. If everyone will not be able to access it, our journalist colleague specifies that “it emerged from the discussions of the CNR that it was necessary that all the people concerned, whatever their level of income, be able to have access to a diagnosis”. This diagnosis could pay off.
On the same theme, “it is also planned to set up an agreement between the State and the Social Union for Housing (USH) in order to accelerate the adaptation of the private rental stock” relates Adeline Lorence. In this Council, the development of independent residences or intergenerational shared accommodations are also discussed. What are the solutions proposed for the other two axes concerning the promotion of trades and the promotion of citizenship?
The other point addressed is therefore the attractiveness of the professions. Several solutions are proposed for this point. The first solution would be a better structure for home help. Indeed, the Council is discussing the possibility of financing assistance in pairs rather than with a single caregiver. Otherwise, the idea of ”establishing 4 hours of exchange of professional practices and taking into account the journey in working time” also emerged.
The combination of different services is also envisaged. This would mean, for example, pooling training in gestures and postures. Other services are discussed such as making appointments with occupational therapists. Finally, the opening of work-study programs is envisaged for home helpers as well as state-certified nurses. Many measures are therefore under discussion on the question of the attractiveness of professions. What is the Citizenship portion of this Council’s Solution Areas?
Regarding the promotion of social ties and citizenship, the digitization of procedures is at the heart of the debates. It is not always easy to navigate among all the digital features. For some of you, this becomes an additional difficulty instead of simplifying the process. For these reasons, physical or telephone support is provided for these procedures. “An effort should also be made to centralize information and thus prevent people with loss of autonomy or their loved ones from navigating from structure to structure to glean the aid to which they may be entitled”, specifies our colleague from Capital.
In addition, a bill had been tabled by the deputies of the majority. This concerns measures to “build the society of aging well” and should therefore be in agreement with the Council. The study of this bill will begin in April 2023. For measures that do not require a bill, a roadmap should see the light of day this spring.
