Misleading display of prices, abusive billing, imaginary benefits… More than half of private nursing homes have irregular business practices, the fraud prevention services pointed out this Thursday from nearly a thousand checks.
These controls, carried out between 2019 and 2021, did not refer to possible lack of attention or mistreatment such as those reported in the research book “Les Fossoyeurs”, but only to the business practices of nursing homes.
deceptive business practices
The DGCCRF survey “focused on private for-profit establishments, due to especially high prices and the proliferation of optional service offers that can make comparison difficult,” explains the organization.
Among the anomalies pointed out, the DGCCRF cites a “mismatch” between the prices shown and those actually charged, or unbalanced clauses in the accommodation contracts – for example, the requirement of a “disproportionate” deposit (greater than the amount of the monthly accommodation ).
“Deceptive business practices” are also reported, such as these establishments that boast of having a “therapeutic garden” when it comes to “mere garden bins.”
Sanctions adopted “in the most serious cases”
Given these shortcomings, the DGCCRF explains that most of the time it was indulgent in favoring “educational and corrective monitoring.” But sanctions were also applied “in the most serious cases”: 17 reports were drawn up, in particular on prices, “abusive clauses” or other “unfair practices”.
The state services invite families who encounter problems, for example “misleading claims about reception arrangements or prices”, to report it on the site signal.conso.gouv.fr. Ill-treatment must be reported to the prefects.
Source: BFM TV
