Access to nursing homes is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising costs and inadequate pensions, according to a new study by the Solidaris health insurance fund on Wednesday.
The average cost of a monthly stay in a nursing home in French-speaking Belgium is €1,989, including €108 in supplements, according to the report. It highlights a disparity between prices in Wallonia and Brussels in particular.
The figure rises to €2,084 in the Brussels-Capital Region, with average supplements of €99, compared to €1,850 in Wallonia, with supplements of €121.
The trend is particularly noticeable in the private sector, with an increase of 50% between 2014 and 2023. Private nursing homes have average prices of €1,985 in Wallonia and €2,276 in Brussels. The study stresses that the public sector remains more affordable, but "largely insufficient to meet demand."
One-stop shop for the elderly
Solidaris also noted that more than 75% of Brussels pensioners over the age of 69 and around 50% of Walloon pensioners are no longer able to cover costs with their gross pension. "Women, whose pensions are on average €405 lower than men's, are particularly vulnerable."
The health insurance fund identified three levers for action in response to this situation: it calls for the introduction of a maximum bill adapted to residents' incomes, stresses the need to take action on pensioners' pensions (including a replacement rate of 75% of average earnings) and wants to promote "policies for seniors that respect diversity," such as the creation of a one-stop shop for the elderly.
The report is based on an analysis of 3,806 invoices from its affiliates who were living in nursing homes in 2023.
