The general manager of Orpéa France, Jean-Christophe Romersi, said to himself “shocked”, Tuesday, January 25 on franceinfo, by the accusations of mistreatment of residents of nursing homes to which the group is subject. The investigation book The Gravediggers by journalist Victor Castanet, to be published on Wednesday, denounces a system where hygiene care, medical care, and even residents’ meals are “rationed” to improve the company’s profitability, while stays are charged at full price. Accusations supported on franceinfo by a former employee of an Ehpad of the group. “It does not correspond to who we are”assures Jean-Christophe Romersi.
franceinfo: What is your reaction to the “abuse” denounced in this book?
Jean-Christophe Romersi: We are shocked. We don’t know the entire book, only its first claims. What is shown of the company as a system is absolutely false. Of course, we are not infallible. There may be malfunctions. We are going to do what we always do: understand, question, identify the different elements to understand the situation. As we have always done, we are open to discussion, exchange and explanation. We have nothing to hide. We will continue to be in the greatest transparency. Our establishments are open to regional health agencies, we work in close collaboration. The State has always been able and will continue to be able to push open the doors of our establishments.
What malfunctions are we talking about?
It is a human profession. Every day, thousands of human beings accompany thousands of human beings. We put all our energy, our heart and our dedication so that everything can happen in the best conditions. But to err is human, it can happen: an organizational problem perhaps, an error at some point… We are humble. We are not perfect, but we strive to be as close as possible to this perfection because that is what we owe to all the people we welcome.
Will there be any legal action on your part?
We will not be left speechless. We are going to take note of the elements of the work and we reserve all the consequences that we deem necessary. Our integrity and honor are under attack, we will defend them. Attacks of this magnitude, which denounce a system that does not exist, are illegitimate. It does not correspond to who we are.