🇬🇧 English
Home care for seniors in France
85% of French seniors wish to age in place at home. France offers a comprehensive network of home care services and financial support to make this possible. This English overview covers the main schemes and how to access them.
Main service types
SAAD — Home help services
Non-medical assistance with daily living: cleaning, shopping, meal preparation, laundry, companionship. Provided by certified agencies (€20-30/hour) or direct hire (CESU declarative). Funded partly by APA.
SSIAD — Nursing services at home
Coordinated medical care delivered at home by a team (nurses + nursing assistants + coordinating doctor). 100% covered by health insurance. For 60+ with significant loss of autonomy, prescription required.
HAD — Hospitalisation at home
Intensive medical care equivalent to a hospital stay, delivered at home. Indications: complex wound care, IV therapy, palliative care, post-surgery. Full health insurance coverage.
Independent nurses (IDEL)
Liberal nurses for daily care (washing, injections, dressings) on prescription. Approximately €20-25 per home visit. 60-100% reimbursed.
Liberal physiotherapy / orthophonist
Rehabilitation at home post-stroke, post-surgery, Parkinson's. ~€20-30/session, reimbursed 60-100%.
Main funding schemes
- APA (Personal Autonomy Allowance) — Monthly benefit €754-€1,947 depending on dependency level (GIR 1-4). Funded by département.
- MaPrimeAdapt' — Home adaptation grant: 50-70% of eligible works (walk-in shower, stairlift, grab bars). Up to €22,000.
- 50% tax credit for personal services at home (cleaning, meal preparation). Cap €12,000/year base + €1,500 per dependent/senior.
- Carer's allowance (AJPA) — €65/day for family caregivers temporarily reducing work activity. 66-day lifetime cap.
- Local grants — CCAS communal aid, CARSAT retirement scheme, regional councils, mutual insurance bonuses.
How to start
- Contact the local CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale) at your city hall for an initial assessment.
- Apply for APA at the Conseil départemental. A medico-social team will visit your home to assess the GIR rating (dependency level).
- Once the APA is granted, choose your service providers (SAAD, SSIAD, etc.) and coordinate the care plan.
- For home adaptation: contact an ANAH-approved AMO (Project Manager Assistance) to obtain MaPrimeAdapt' grant.
- If you employ a home help directly, register on CESU+ for automatic tax credit advance.