Extra help in later years

As we get older questions surrounding dependency arise – whether relating to options for full residential care or help to enable us to stay in our own home.

France has a significant number of services and financial aids that help with elderly dependency, although the question of improvements to meet rising needs continues to be a concern to successive governments.

The former Hollande government reviewed help for dependent people increasing the amounts that people could obtain for APA, a benefit which either helps people to stay at home by paying for home-help services, or which goes towards the dependency part of the fees of a retirement home. 

It budgeted extra for modernising résidences autonomie, aimed at older people who want a more supportive environment without entering a retirement home, and gave better recognition to the role family members can play. It also introduced a website for older people's services.

The Macron government commissioned new studies, looking ahead to innovative ways to adapt homes or develop new ways of living for those who will have dependency needs in the years to come.

Mr Macron stated he wanted to better finance the sector of dependency care and to re-organise it, taking more pressure off families and helping more people to stay as long as possible in their own homes.

It was announced in 2020 that 'autonomy' help was becoming an official 'fifth branch' of social security, with a new funding body to pilot it.

In addition more money was earmarked towards modernising nursing homes and improving the standard of medical care they can offer.

It has been estimated that 600,000 people live in one of the 7,500 French Ehpad retirement homes, or around 20% of over-85s.

A 2025 study by the state statistics body Insee showed one in ten people has dependency issues by age 60 and 42% of those aged 85 or more.

There are likely to be around 2.8 million dependent older people in France by mid-century, Insee states, as those in the 'senior' years of life become more numerous and, on average, older than before. 

However this will be somewhat compensated by expectations that people will in general be in better health at a given age compared to now.

Insee warned that if the proportion of senior citizens moving into Ehpads remains the same as now we will need 56% extra places by the 2050s, or otherwise to limit this increased demand we will need to recruit 800,000 more carers to help people at home.