The AFM-Téléthon and APF France handicap will contact the Defender of Rights for “endangering the lives of others” and “general non-assistance to people in danger” to denounce the lack of personnel in the health sector. help for people with disabilities.
“Distress calls have increased in recent months” and this is accelerating, warns Tuesday October 3 on franceinfo, the president of the AFM-Téléthon Laurence Tiennot-Herment, president of the AFM-Téléthon who with the APF France handicap will contact the Defender of Rights for “implementation danger to the lives of others” and “generalized non-assistance to people in danger” to denounce the lack of personnel in the sector of helping people with disabilities.
>> TESTIMONY. “We no longer have a social life”: these “helping parents” talk about their exhaustion in the face of the crisis in the home help sector
franceinfo: Why are you contacting the Defender of Rights?
Laurence Tiennot-Herment: Since last year, while on October 6, we always celebrate Carers’ Day, we have noticed that there are great difficulties in recruiting these caregivers, these care assistants who will support the sick and the families. Since last year, we have continued to alert the public authorities, saying that the situation is deteriorating, deteriorating, that families are constantly calling on us. There is sometimes a danger when there is a need for carers, 24-hour home help, because the person is quadriplegic and we have no one. There is a real shortage, a real crisis in home help.
What are you waiting for?
The Defender of Rights must identify the actors, in particular, public ones, whose responsibility can be engaged, transmitted, and investigated on her part because there is discrimination in relation to the person with a disability.
What made you take action?
These are distress calls which are becoming more widespread and increasing in recent months with an acceleration. Family solidarity should not replace national solidarity. When the person is very dependent, they need gestures for everything. We can say that in a very acute situation the solution would be the hospital. However, when we see the crisis, also, in the hospital, it is unacceptable. We have dramatic situations with people who stay in their chairs because they cannot lie down. There are trained home helpers, but this profession is not valued. Between a home help who has to give food and a home help who has to perform endotracheal suction, the difference in remuneration is 70 cents. We must promote these professions.
How can we promote these home help professions?
These are professions for which there is no financial valuation, no training when we have to support someone who really needs care or security. There is not adequate training and that is a problem. This is an undervaluation of these professions. Structural reform is needed for home help. Today we have families who are at high life risk and people at high life risk for whom there is no response outside of family solidarity. Therefore, there is a danger to the lives of others.