The ageing of the population creates new needs for housing adapted to the elderly. Hence the multiplication of establishments designed to accommodate the elderly or “retirement homes”. A retirement home is any collective residence, private or public, designed to accommodate people over the age of 60, and maybe permanent or temporary. While the variety of institutions for the elderly varies from country to country.

A medical facility designed to accommodate dependent elderly people aged 60 and over. Residents benefit from permanent support including various services such as accommodation, meals, toilets, daily medical care adapted to the resident’s needs and administered by a paramedical team, housekeeping and various activities. The services offered vary according to each accommodation structure and the level of autonomy of the patients.

In France, for example, the level of autonomy of an elderly person can be assessed using a specific scale called GIR or groupe iso-ressources. The care needs of each elderly person will depend on their level of GIR: GIR1, GIR2, GIR3, GIR4, GIR5, GIR6. Nursing homes or EHPADs can provide care for an elderly person up to a GIR1 level (person in a wheelchair or bedridden with severely impaired mental functions).

It can be either private and for-profit, managed by associations, or public and attached to a health establishment. The occupancy rate of rest homes is also quite high compared to non-medical accommodation structures such as nursing homes. Taxable residents in nursing homes can also benefit from a tax reduction and be exempted from various taxes such as housing tax and property tax.

Nursing homes and all care facilities for the elderly are also subject to strict standards, if we mention only the standards to be respected in terms of hygiene, the safety of the infrastructures or conformity of the products used.

Approved nursing homes can also benefit from financial aid or investment subsidies from the State under certain conditions. In France, nursing homes wishing to benefit from State subsidies must sign a tripartite agreement defining their operating conditions, objectives and terms.