“The employees are tired, the atmosphere is bad”: in Bordeaux, the Le Platane nursing home is worrying families

Targeted by a Departmental investigation in 2023 and a report to the ARS, the Le Platane nursing home in Bordeaux continues to attract complaints from families of residents and tired employees

“ One day at 2 p.m., I arrived in the common room. Mom was in the middle, in her armchair, a total loser. She had her vest on but no protection, no pants, no blanket to hide her.” The scene described took place last February at the Le Platane nursing home , a non-profit establishment managed by the Korian group since 2014, in the Grand-Parc district of Bordeaux. This 99-year-old resident was then installed in the Protected Living Unit, a section intended for residents with severe degenerative disorders requiring specialized support.

Repeated falls, facial bruises, running away, poor hygiene, clothing theft, the development of a bedsore, and swapping dentures: since their mother's admission in 2021, Maryse and Martine Bourgeois have complained in writing about ten times about mistreatment inflicted on their mother. In September 2023, they and other families contacted the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the Gironde Department, which opened an investigation, which is still ongoing. In January Next, the ARS brings together the families, the management of the establishment and the regional director of the Korian Ehpad (now under reconversion) and supervises an action plan to improve the quality of meals, cleaning and repair of furniture.

A few months later, in July 2024, a nurse accustomed to covering for the facility began working without a contract alongside colleagues who had been unpaid for two months. The arrival of a new director at the beginning of the summer regularized the situation. But for several more months, the nursing home operated with almost no supervision, amid sick leave and resignations. In November, the hotel manager was fired for poor team management. "In fifty-two years, I had never been fired, even though I handled the administrative management almost single-handedly this summer."

"This turnover does not allow us to know everyone's state of health and ensure good medical monitoring."

"The facility experienced a difficult period in 2024, but the management and supervisory teams are now stable," assures its director, Cyril Boa. "Eight out of 26 nursing assistant positions are still vacant, but temporary staff take turns filling in. Caregivers also regularly change sectors to get to know all the residents." But for the staff, "this turnover doesn't allow us to know everyone's health and ensure good medical monitoring," says another nurse, who has regularly filled in since Covid. This point is supported by Stéphanie (1), whose mother was hospitalized in February for pneumonia: "The senior nurse didn't know she had asthma. We had to wait three days to get the emergency room. In the meantime, she had fallen three times." Others denounce the use of unqualified staff to fill certain positions.

For her part, Patricia (1), the daughter of a resident, observes that medication "if needed" is regularly not distributed to residents before nightfall. Recently, a young night nurse burst into tears because she was unable to relieve a resident's pain, she says. However, Cyril Boa refutes any accusations of mistreatment or negligence. "We can't deny that there are malfunctions, but that's typical of any establishment." However, he has counted eight serious adverse events since January, including two serious falls, and confirms that the water was contaminated by Legionnaires' disease at the beginning of the year before the hot water system was replaced.

"The employees are tired, the atmosphere is bad," several witnesses agree. Tensions between families and employees are commonplace. Cyril Boa regrets "a relationship of constant confrontation" and "a breakdown of trust" on the part of some families, which he is trying to address through dialogue. But the rate increase granted to all nursing homes by the Department last January has not helped to ease relations. "Every hitch becomes a mountain," confirms Maryse Bourgeois. "I'm 76 years old, and when I start to lose my mind, I'd rather do anything than go to a nursing home."

The Bourgeois sisters are preparing to send a new report. When contacted, the ARS (Regional Health Agency) assured that the situation had significantly improved since 2023 and that communication had been restored between management, staff, and families.

(1) Names have been changed.