According to the Korian group, which operates a network of more than 7 health and medico-social establishments for the elderly and frail in 1000 European countries, and offers shared housing solutions as well as home help services, this program contains misleading or inaccurate allegations against Korian's retirement home activity in France. These allegations are mainly based on the statements of two former employees, one of whom remains anonymous and the other former director of the establishment until June 2016, is today in litigation with the company. The latter, from Orpea, was already quoted by journalist Victor Castanet in the chapter of his book “Les Fossoyeurs” concerning Korian, a chapter to which the group had provided detailed answers.
The facts and documents mentioned by these two people in the program all refer without exception to an old period, prior to 2016 or 2017, for the most recent, more than five years ago. They in no way correspond to the methods or the current organization of the Korian group, which has been deeply overhauled since 2016.
In addition, the program contains a hidden camera sequence shot in September 2020 by a journalist who was recruited in a Korian retirement home as a carer for a period of three days, on the strength of a CV showing three years' experience (2016-2019) as a home care assistant with the elderly. This establishment was then experiencing a temporary shortage of staff, given the outbreak of the second wave of Covid, and had to deal with the sudden death of its director a few weeks earlier.
Korian condemns the use of such procedures, which are particularly unfair and irresponsible in this context.
Here are the Korian Group's responses to the main questions raised by the program:
« On the recruitment of employees without verification of diploma: Ms. Marie Maurice, journalist for Cash Investigation, was hired on a fixed-term contract as a life assistant on September 5, 2020, a position that does not require a particular diploma. In the emergency context experienced by the establishment, which was looking for external reinforcements in the midst of the resurgence of the Covid pandemic, the local teams did not check the references presented before hiring. Mrs. Maurice only worked three days in this establishment.
On the "functioning": Like all structures in the sector, private or public, and in a labor market that is structurally under pressure in the health professions, our establishments are led to employ, by exception, life auxiliaries (AVS) or AMPs as "acting as » State-qualified Nursing Assistant (ASDE). These employees are then offered, when they are on permanent contracts, courses to validate acquired experience aimed at enabling them to obtain the ASDE diploma. In 2021, 300 people followed such a course. The list of names of employees employed in such an exceptional framework is also communicated to the supervisory authorities (ARS and departmental councils). For several years, the Korian group has been promoting work-study and professional qualification courses to overcome the shortage of qualified professionals in the care and personal services professions and to promote the promotion of its employees. In 2021, 2 people, out of the 700 Group employees in France, benefited from such an approach, with a particularly high success rate for the validation of acquired experience (25% on average, and specifically 000 % for the nursing assistant diploma, i.e. double the national average of 78%).
On the staff replacement policy: Korian encourages institutions to anticipate the replacement of scheduled absences for all permanent positions, either by providing for certain functions a larger permanent workforce to internalize replacements (support permanent contracts) or by calling on regular workers in the establishment within the framework of fixed-term contracts. In practice, given the tensions encountered locally on the labor market, particularly during the summer or end-of-year holiday periods, 100% replacement is not always possible, especially in the event of absences not programmed. The establishments take this situation into account when they draw up their provisional budget.
On the medication circuit: In accordance with the applicable regulations, the Group's protocols stipulate that the administration of medication may only be carried out by a state-certified nurse (IDE). The latter may, by way of exception, delegate the act of administration to a state-qualified nursing assistant, the act nevertheless remaining under his responsibility, in accordance with article R. 4311-4 of the Public Health Code. A list of persons authorized for Distribution/Dispensing within each establishment must be available and updated regularly. The IDE must also ensure that the nursing auxiliaries working under its responsibility have the knowledge, skills and information necessary to carry out this task (in particular new employees or temporary workers). Any breach of these rules constitutes a fault liable to be sanctioned. Our audit and internal control procedures pay particular attention to this point.
With regard to the specific case of the establishment shown in the program, the new director of the establishment effectively identified and reported upon her arrival in September 2020 failures in the drug administration circuit relating in particular to traceability. . Corrective measures, accompanied by sanctions, going as far as dismissal for misconduct, have therefore been taken. They were brought to the attention of the ARS, thus demonstrating on the one hand the effectiveness of the control systems in place and on the other hand the total transparency of Korian with regard to the supervisory and control authorities.
On the use of public grants: Korian facilities receive public funding for care and dependency in accordance with regulations. These allocations amounted to €532 million in 2020. These allocations are fully allocated to care and dependency expenses and the Group does not make any margin on them.
To account for the use of these sums, accounting statements (ERRD) must be drawn up each year for each establishment, which are subject to the approval of the pricing authorities (ARS and departmental council) These accounting statements show the all of the expenses actually incurred for care and dependency.
With regard to staff costs, the amounts declared correspond to salaries and social charges as shown in the establishment's payroll. Added to these amounts are, on the one hand, the payments made as tax on wages, participation or training costs as well as, on the other hand, the fees paid, where applicable, to independent health professionals intervening in the establishment, as part of the replacement of permanent staff. These different items represent on average about 10% of the total personnel costs declared in the ERRD. Under no circumstances may other sums, which would artificially increase expenses, be added by management control as wrongly alleged in the program.
On food and external purchases: Korian formally denies carrying out any rationing whatsoever. Since 2016, catering management has been entirely internalized within the group, with a chef and a dedicated team per establishment. Meals are cooked daily on site from unprocessed products with a constant concern to offer quality products, adapted to the seasons and the needs of residents. The menus are reviewed regularly, on a four-week cycle.
The facts alleged in Cash Investigation, namely the removal, in February 2016, for reasons of economy, of croutons from a recipe for onion soup served on Grandmother's Day, absolutely do not correspond to company policy. Moreover, the document produced in the show does not specifically target the menu for Grandmothers' Day; this is an adjustment of the menus over three weeks, with modifications made to 23 recipes (recipe substitutions or modifications). The presentation made by Cash Investigation of the document therefore appears totally truncated.
On hygiene rules for residents: Body hygiene is of course provided daily and more if necessary, as well as oral hygiene, generally carried out in the morning and evening. This support is carried out according to the standards and good care practices in force in our establishments.
On the operating margin targets assigned to institutions: the Group recalls that in 2020 it achieved in France an operating margin before rent of 24,9% and a net income group share of 4,2% of revenue, and that it is aiming on average operating margin of 26%. It achieved a net profit on turnover of 4%.
He also observes that the figures mentioned by the former director intervening in the program with regard to the very significant objectives for the increase in operating margin which would have been assigned to him for the establishment which he then directed between 2013 and 2016 do not correspond to the results of this establishment, whose operating margin has remained stable over these four financial years.
Finally, the Group emphasizes that since 2017 it has invested more than 500 million euros to modernize and develop the network of French retirement homes. It plans to invest an additional 600 million euros over the next four years. »