The French nursing home chain Orpea was discredited at the end of January after the publication of the book “Les fossoyeurs” by journalist Victor Castanet. This involves rationing, elderly people who remain in their excrement or receive no care for days. However, the residents have to pay a lot of money for their stay. The abuses are said to be the result of the group’s quest for profit maximization.
The Orpea case also has offshoots in Belgium. Almost two weeks ago, it was announced that the Flemish Agency for Care and Health has placed two residential care centers of the group under increased supervision: Vordenstein in Schoten and De Bottelarij in Kortemark. Two other rest homes of the group had already been blacklisted: James Ensor (Ostend) and Park Lane (Antwerp). Orpea operates a total of sixty rest homes in our country.
